![]() ![]() That’s nearly 100 million miles away (1AU). For a start, this flare occurs in the low corona, right near the solar surface. Granted, the largest flares my generate enough energy for 100 billion atomic explosions, but don’t let this huge figure concern you. ![]() As previously reported, solar flares from “nanoflares” to “X-class flares” are very energetic events. Reconnection is the trigger for solar flares of various sizes. This is when a phenomenon known as magnetic reconnection occurs. As magnetic energy builds up, we can expect more and more magnetic flux to be forced together. Coronal loops have the effect of pushing the hotter surface layers of the Sun (the photosphere and chromosphere) aside, exposing the cooler convection zone (the reasons why the solar surface and atmosphere is hotter than the solar interior is down to the coronal heating phenomenon). As coronal loops continue to pop up over the surface, sunspots appear too, often located at the loop footpoints. These kinks are known as coronal loops which become more numerous during periods of high solar activity. As magnetic energy increases, kinks in the magnetic flux form, forcing them to the surface. As this continues, solar plasma drags the magnetic field lines around the Sun, causing stress and a build up of energy ( an illustration of this is pictured). This means that the equator is spinning faster than the magnetic poles. During the lifetime of each cycle, the magnetic field lines of the Sun are dragged around the solar body by differential rotation at the solar equator. This explosion is known as a solar flare and the effects of which can cause problems here on Earth.īefore we look at the Earth-side effects, let’s have a look at the Sun and briefly understand why it gets so angry every 11 years or so.įirst and foremost, the Sun has a natural cycle with a period of approximately 11 years. During solar maximum (when the Sun is at its most active), the Earth may be unlucky enough to be staring down the barrel of an explosion with the energy of 100 billion Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs. The Sun constantly fires high-energy particles from its magnetically dominated surface as the solar wind. The Earth has evolved in a highly radioactive environment. But let’s have a look at what really happens during an Earth-directed solar flare event, the Earth is actually very well protected. Like most of the various ways the world is going to end in 2012, the possibility of the Sun blasting out a huge, Earth-damaging solar flare is very attractive to the doomsayers out there. So it looks like we are going to get roasted alive by our closest star on December 21st, 2012!īefore we go jumping to conclusions, take a step back and think this through. What’s more, there may be some correlation between the 11-year solar cycle and the time cycles seen in the Mayan calendar, perhaps this ancient civilization understood how the Sun’s magnetism undergoes polarity changes every decade or so? Plus, religious texts (such as the Bible) say that we are due for a day of judgement, involving a lot of fire and brimstone. No Doomsday in 2012 (posted May 19th 2008)Īccording to one of the many Doomsday scenarios we have been presented with in the run-up to the Mayan Prophecy-fuelled “end of the world” in the year 2012, this scenario is actually based on some science.2012: Planet X Is Not Nibiru (posted June 19th 2008).2012: No Killer Solar Flare (posted June 21st 2008).2012: No Geomagnetic Reversal (posted October 3rd 2008).Solar physicists are already getting excited about this next cycle and new prediction methods are being put to good use. Some predictions put the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 24 even more energetic than the last solar maximum in 2002-2003 (remember all those record breaking X-class flares?). The Sun will be approaching the peak of its 11-year cycle, called “solar maximum”, so we can expect a lot of solar activity. We could be in for a huge firework display in 2012. ![]()
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