When is the next solar flare
- how big is a solar flare
- how big is a solar flare compared to earth
- how big is a solar storm
- how long is a solar storm
What does a solar flare look like!
When was the last solar flare
Understanding just how big solar flares can get
Recasting the iconic Carrington Event as just one of many superstorms in Earth’s past, scientists reveal the potential for even more massive, and potentially destructive, eruptions from the Sun.
By Christopher Crockett | Published: September 27, 2021 | Last updated on May 18, 2023
On May 1, 2019, the star next door erupted.
In a matter of seconds, Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our Sun, got thousands of times brighter than usual — up to 14,000 times brighter in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum.
The radiation burst was strong enough to split any water molecules that might exist on the temperate, Earth-sized planet orbiting that star; repeated blasts of that magnitude might have stripped the planet of any atmosphere.
It would be bad news if the Earth’s sun ever got so angry.
But the Sun does have its moments — most famously, in the predawn hours of Sep.
2, 1859. At that time, a brilliant aurora lit up the planet, appearing as far south as Havana. Folks in Missouri could read by its light,
- how long is a solar storm going to last
- how big is the next solar flare