Scientists issued a warning that the Sun might emit "superflares." Superflares have enough power and reach to destroy modern civilization.
Astronomers have noticed from a star that is similar to the Sun that the former is releasing superflares. Such event should point out that the Sun could have the same and the circumstances is dire the technology and modern civilization.
Solar flares are flash of light from the Sun's surface. This is considered as one of the most powerful forces produced within the solar system. Typical solar flares are irregular and few and far between. These energy blasts are equal to 100 million megaton bombs; however, the superflares are equivalent to a billion megaton bombs.
"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," according to Chloe Pugh, the lead scientist of the research from University of Warwick
Superflares are "extremely unlikely" to occur in the Sun basing on the behavior on the surface of it. The superflare that the astronomers studies occurred on the binary star KIC9655129.
Solar flares have rapid increase in intensity and then is followed by a slow and gradual decline. This phase is often unstable as it releases pulsations called "quasi-periodic pulsations" (QPP). The flare observed by the astronomers on the binary star has two significant QPPs. Based on the statistics, these dual QPPs are not by chance but are actually independent and overlapping each other.
"The most plausible explanation for the presence of two independent periodicities is that the QPPs were caused by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) oscillations, which are frequently observed in solar flares," according to Anne-Marie Broomhal, co-author of the study.
