What are solar flares and what do they do? Are they dangerous?
Solar flares are sudden releases of energy in a relatively small region sun above the sun’s surface. The energy gets stored in magnetic fields — magnetic fields strengthen, and the force lines get twisted much like twisting a rubber band. If the energy gets too great the magnetic field lines “break” or “reconnect” and the energy released heats up the gas locally and also accelerate it into fast flows. Flares release light, and as the newly hot gas slams into the sun, they release X-rays and gamma rays. They can also create energetic electrons and protons that can reach earth in 10-15 minutes (the light and X-rays arrive in 8 minutes). Are flares dangerous: not on the earth’s surface as we’re protected by our atmosphere which absorbes the X-rays and energetic particles. However in space astronauts or satellite hardware gets bombared by the radiation and can be damaged. Dr.
