A recent study by scientists at the University of Warwick found that the Sun has the potential to superflare, which could have damaging effects on the Earth's communication and energy systems. The conclusion was made using data from NASA's Kepler telescope, which found that the Sun possesses wave patterns that are similar to those previously observed in solar flares.
Superflares, which are thousands of times more powerful than anything ever observed on the Sun, are frequently seen in specific kinds of stars. For example, the binary star KIC9655129, located in the Milky Way, is known to superflare. In fact, recent observations found similarities between the superflare on KIC9655129 and the solar flares found on the Sun.
"Our solar system is filled with plasma, or ionised gas, originating from the Sun as a result of the solar wind and other more violent solar eruptions, such as solar flares," said Chloë Pugh, lead researcher of the study, in a press release. "Stars very similar to the Sun have been observed to produce enormous flares, called superflares. To give us a better indication of whether the Sun could produce a catastrophic superflare, we need to determine whether the same physical processes are responsible for both stellar superflares and solar flares."
The researchers found indications that the same underlying processes are involved in both solar flares and superflares, which supports their hypothesis that the Sun could create a devastating superfalre.
"If the Sun were to produce a superflare, it would be disastrous for life on Earth. Our GPS and radio communication systems could be severely disrupted and there could be large scale power blackouts as a result of strong electrical currents being induced in power grids," said Pugh.
Despite these dangers, Pugh doesn't believe the conditions necessary for a superflare on the Sun are likely to occur.
"Fortunately, the conditions needed for a superflare are extremely unlikely to occur on the Sun, based on previous observations of solar activity," she said.
