solar flare

A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun's surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release of up to 6 × 1025joules of energy (about a sixth of the total energy output of the Sun each second or 160,000,000,000 megatons of TNT equivalent, over 25,000 times more energy than released from the impact of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 with Jupiter). They are mainly followed by a colossal coronal mass ejection also known as a CME.[1] The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona of the sun into space. These clouds typically reach Earth a day or two after the event.[2] The term is also used to refer to similar phenomena in other stars, where the term stellar flare applies.

For more information about solar flare check the Wikipedia article here

ZME Science posts about solar flare

Sun’s magnetic ‘heartbeat’ is discovered

Fri, Apr 5, 2013

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A magnetic solar ‘heartbeat’ beats deep down in the Sun’s interior, generating energy that leads to solar flares and sunspots. Solar flares and sunspots A solar flare is a large energy release in the form of a sudden brightening of the surface or the solar limb. The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms [...]

Earth was hit by a massive gamma-ray burst in the 8th century

Mon, Jan 21, 2013

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The most powerful explosion in the Universe – a gamma-ray burst-  might have hit Earth during the middle ages. Luckily enough for our ancestors the event had its origin thousands of light years away and its effects went by unnoticed. Last year, scientists found  unusual levels of radioactive carbon-14 in cedar trees in Japan and spikes [...]

Doomsday part 4: Solar flares

Thu, Dec 20, 2012

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A solar flare will breach Earth’s magnetic field that typically shelters our planet’s surface from such hazards. The ensuing onslaught would fry all electronic devices in the world and cut power grids. Chaos would ubiquitously surface causing anarchy in a Mad Max type of scenario. New age prophets have for years labeled technology as the devil’s [...]

Astronomers try to predict huge solar blasts by studying coronal cavities

Fri, Sep 21, 2012

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From time to time, the sun projects billion-ton clouds of charged particles from its scorching surface, surrounded by a solar atmosphere scientists dub corona, into space. Sometimes, these blasts hit the Earth’s magnetic field with a high potential for wrecking havoc to satellites and  communications, and in extreme cases massive electrical power surges. It’s become a [...]

Powerful solar flare headed our way set to spark beautiful Northern Lights

Fri, Jul 13, 2012

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Astronomers have surprised a blast of charged solar particles erupting from a massive solarspot, recently. The unleashed X-class solar flare is expected to reach Earth’s magnetic field on Saturday morning (2:52 p.m. EDT). Scientists warrant that there’s a chance temporary disruptions to GPS signals, radio communications and power grids might occur. Of greater interest for most of [...]

Superflares 10,000 times more powerful than those in our solar system, observed on sun-like stars

Thu, May 17, 2012

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Some stars, most often during their early life, exhibit an intense and energetic behavior, much greater than that of our own sun, despite a similar size, per say. In the first survey of its kind, scientists at Kyoto University have analyzed sun flares erupting on the surface of distant stars through out our galaxy. They found [...]

Huge sunspots the size of the Earth warns of potential massive solar storms

Tue, May 8, 2012

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Astronomers have observed a huge sunspot group on the surface of the sun, sized at more than 60,000 miles across, which might outbreak in a potentially hazardous solar storm. From time to time, the sun spews huge energy releases called solar flares, which depending on their magnitude (the weakest are “C” class and the most powerful are [...]

Solar flare reaches us, but wait – there’s more [shorties]

Thu, Mar 8, 2012

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The solar flare is here! Today, Thursday, at about 5:45 a.m. Eastern time, the geomagnetic storm that arose from the surface of the Sun as a result of a massive solar flare reached our planet’s atmosphere. So far, the storm has been quite a dud, with researchers and amateur astronomers all over the world reporting [...]

Sun fires off two huge solar flares that could impact Earth

Wed, Mar 7, 2012

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The largest solar flare since 2006 occurred Tuesday, when a massive amount of plasma was ejected at a speed of over 4 million miles per hour, causing some significant problems on Earth, forcing planes to reroute, knocking out power grids and blacking out a number of radios. “Super Tuesday? You bet!” joked Joseph Kunches, a [...]

Solar flare heading our way – to hit the Earth on Saturday

Fri, Jan 20, 2012

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The sun recently shout out an M3.2-class solar flare in our direction, which scientists expect to hit the Earth this Saturday. The coronal mass ejection however is too weak to cause any havoc like doomsday fanatics might hope, just an incredible “fireworks” display as the charged particles hit the Earth’s magnetic field resulting in spectacular aurora [...]

Good news! Killer solar flares won’t destroy Earth

Mon, Nov 14, 2011

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In a statement wrote by NASA scientists (and I can only imagine how they felt while writing it) it is revealed that if the world is going to end in 2012, the Sun won’t be to blame. A deadly fireball Contrary to what doomsayers and conspiracy adepts will have you believe, the Sun simply doesn’t [...]

Spectacular Aurora Borealis light show in North America [PHOTOS]

Wed, Oct 26, 2011

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The northern hemisphere is accustomed enough to the dazzling Aurora Borealis phenomena, an event which occurs when charged particles collide with atoms from the extreme latitude atmosphere. However, yesterday almost the whole North American continent was bewildered by an incredible spectacle of lights, as Aurora Borealis  apparitions were reported as far south as Kansas, Arkansas [...]

Gamma-ray bursts might cause mass extinction on Earth

Mon, Oct 10, 2011

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Most of us tend to believe the Earth is a safe heaven, with little regard to outerwordly consequences. The truth is our planet, although without a doubt a true gem within our galaxy, is susceptible to a slew of events triggered from within or well beyond our solar system. A lot of them are very [...]

Solar flare radiation expected to hit today – expect a Northern Lights spectacle

Thu, Feb 17, 2011

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On Monday the sun fired up an X class solar flare, the most powerful of its kind, the effects of which are expected to be felt by us today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday), and are expected to last somewhere between 24 and 48 hours. This may lead to disruptions in radio communications, interfere with satellites [...]

Giant solar blast headed directly for Earth – perfect for photographers

Wed, Feb 16, 2011

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First of all, there’s no need to panic; solar blasts can cause geomagnetic perturbances, but they pose no direct danger for humans or any other inhabitants of our planet in a direct manner. The biggest such flare in the past four years erupted on Monday, and it’s sending jets of charged particles that will reach [...]

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