Image source: Univeristy of Warwick/RonaldWarmington
Americans concerned about solar flares and the domino effect a power grid-down scenario would spark have been — once again — vindicated. A new study from the University of Warwick in England revealed that not only are solar flares dangerous but that “superflares” – 1,000 times greater than traditional solar flares — are a distinct and globally destructive possibility.
The new study “supports the hypothesis that the sun is able to produce a potentially devastating superflare,” that would destroy the world’s power grid, said study co-author Anne-Marie Broomhall of the University of Warwick.
The team used data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope to study binary star KIC9655129, which is 1,500 light years from Earth. That star and its flares have similarities to our sun and its own flares. They discovered that the binary star emits superflares previously undetected – and ones that scientists say our own sun could produce.
Survival World News 