“The sun sneezes and the earth catches a cold” is a metaphor that explains the influence of the massive star on our world and the entire planetary system. The radiation ejections from the Sun King directly affect our daily life, to the point of being able to generate a dangerous consequence.
Ever since a brutal sunspot appeared on our massive star, which is four times larger than Earth, scientists around the world have been closely monitoring every detail of this phenomenon.
In just two days it registered exponential growth and since then it has been studied to find out if it could cause the well-known solar storms or flares, radiation ejections that have an impact on our atmosphere.
From this usual element, you can generate: geomagnetic storms; more intense northern lights; damage to satellites and communication systems or dangerous radiation for astronauts.
Zoom in! 🔍
On the Sun’s surface, there are cells called granules that transfer heat from below the solar surface up to the surface.
Networks of these granules – called supergranules – can stretch around 18,000 miles across! pic.twitter.com/FGQmj8kFeY
— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) May 31, 2023
That’s all? There is a terrible warning that is much worse
Studies carried out by astronomers and different sectors of medicine find that a solar storm has a significant impact on human health.
Solar storm explosions can increase radiation in Earth’s atmosphere, which can have negative effects on our health.
We all know that the planet’s atmosphere and magnetic field protect us to a great extent from solar radiation. However, in the hypothetical case of extreme events, such as a massive sunspot, there is a risk of increased radiation exposure, which can be detrimental to health.
This recently detected sunspot is classified X. The most intense and powerful flares have this name. They represent the most significant solar explosions that release a large amount of energy.
Class X flares have a radiated energy greater than 10^(-4) watts per square meter.