The energy of the Sun has an ambiguous effect on our planet. It gives us warmth, but at the same time it can negatively affect the well-being of people. One of the reasons for the negative impact is solar flares. How do they happen? What are their consequences?
Sun and solar flare
The sun is the only star in our system, which from it was called "solar". It has a huge mass and, thanks to strong gravity, holds all the planets of the solar system around it. A star is a ball of helium, hydrogen and other elements (sulfur, iron, nitrogen, etc.), which are contained in a smaller amount.
The sun is the main source of light and heat on Earth. This occurs as a result of constant thermonuclear reactions, which are often accompanied by outbreaks, the appearance of black spots, coronal ejections.
Solar flares occur over black spots, radiating a large amount of energy. Their effects were previously attributed to the action of the spots themselves. The phenomenon was discovered in 1859, but many processes associated with it are only being studied.
Solar flares: photo and description
The effect of the phenomenon is short-lived - only a few minutes. In fact, a solar flare is a powerful explosion covering all the atmospheric layers of the luminary. They appear in the form of a small prominence that flares up sharply, emitting x-ray, radio and ultraviolet rays.
The sun rotates around its axis unevenly. At the poles, its motion is slower than at the equator; therefore, twisting occurs in the magnetic field. An explosion occurs when the voltage at the “twist” is too strong. At this time, billions of megatons of energy are being freed. Flashes usually occur in the neutral region between black spots of different polarity. Their character is determined by the phase of the solar cycle.
Depending on the strength of the x-ray radiation and the brightness at the peak of activity, flares are divided into classes. Power is defined in watts per square meter. The strongest solar flare belongs to the X class, the middle one is denoted by the letter M, and the weakest - C. Each of them is 10 times different from the previous one in rank.
Impact on the earth
It takes about 7-10 minutes before the Earth feels the effects of an explosion on the Sun. During flare-up, plasma is emitted along with the radiation, which forms into plasma clouds. The solar wind carries them to the sides of the Earth, causing magnetic storms on our planet .
In outer space, an explosion increases the background radiation, which can affect the health of astronauts, and this can affect people flying in an airplane. The electromagnetic wave from a flash causes interference with satellites and other equipment.
On Earth, outbreaks can greatly affect people's well-being. This is manifested in the absence of concentration, pressure drops, headaches, slowing down brain activity. People with weakened immunity, mental disorders, cardiovascular disorders and chronic diseases are especially sensitive to the activity of the sun on themselves.
Sensitivity has the technique. A Class X solar flare is capable of incapacitating radio devices all over the Earth; the average blast power affects mainly the polar regions.
Monitoring
The most powerful solar flare occurred in 1859, it is often called the Solar Super Storm or Carrington event. To notice her was lucky astronomer Richard Carrington, in whose honor the phenomenon was named. The outbreak caused the Northern Lights, which could be seen even on the Caribbean Islands, and the telegraph communication system of North America and Europe instantly failed.
Storms like the Carrington event occur once every 500 years. The consequences for the life of people can occur with minor outbreaks, so scientists are interested in predicting them. Predicting solar activity is not easy, since the structure of our luminary is very unstable.
Active research in this area is carried out by NASA. By analyzing the solar magnetic field, scientists have already learned to learn about the next outbreak, but accurate forecasts are not yet possible. All predictions are very approximate and report “sunny weather” only for short periods, up to a maximum of 3 days.