Self-hypnosis or a real threat: what are the dangers of solar flares? A strong solar flare: why is it dangerous for humans?

IN Lately everything appears in various sources more information about the “end of the world” and about possible disasters associated with natural phenomena, and also about man-made disasters. A huge amount of contradictory data confuses unprepared people and leads them to try not to think about this topic at all and ignore everything. However, if you believe folk wisdom, the presence of smoke means that there is a fire burning somewhere, and not paying attention to this would be simple ignorance on our part. Let's consider one of the many phenomena that, according to some assumptions and forecasts, could become the cause of a large-scale catastrophe.

Flashes came to people's attention as early as 1859, when they caused problems with telegraph lines. Additionally, this event resulted in the northern lights being visible in Hawaii. As you know, our star exists in certain cycles - for eleven years, solar activity has a minimum value, and after that it increases significantly. Maximum flares are observed just at the peak of activity. At that time Sun emits magnetic and radiation energy, as well as ultraviolet radiation in very large quantities. They reach the Earth in just a few hours. Solar radiation must be stopped by the magnetic field of our planet, which prevents significant damage from being caused to it, but due to its depletion, proper safety cannot be guaranteed.

So what specific consequences can they lead to and is it possible to protect against them? This phenomenon can cause very large geo magnetic storms and complete refusal electrical network. This can lead not only to the inability to use electrical appliances, but also to disaster global character. If something like this happens, it will start with people being able to see a very bright light of great intensity. After this, all transformers will stop working and energy systems. According to experts, in the United States all key transformers will burn out in just 90 seconds, and more than 130 million people will be left without electricity.

At the beginning of the disaster, no one will die, but quite quickly the structures and systems on which the lives of a huge number of people directly depend will begin to collapse. Oil and gas pipelines will stop working, settlements There will be no water flow, gas stations will be out of order. Autonomous energy systems, which are available in some institutions, are designed to operate for three days. According to experts, several million people may die in a year, and their deaths will be associated with indirect causes of the economic shutdown.

But is it worth making such gloomy and hopeless predictions in connection with an event that may not happen? As experts say, such an electromagnetic storm is quite possible, and its manifestation is just a matter of time. According to Professor Daniel Baker, large-scale flares on the Sun can lead to results that are comparable to the fall of a huge asteroid or nuclear war. Even if an event similar to that observed in 1859 occurs, modern people they may not survive it. This is due to the current level of industrial development and the importance of transformers, which take a very long time to replace. As we see, despite all the achievements modern humanity, in some ways it is more vulnerable now than it was 150 years ago. Development various fields human activity puts people in direct dependence on new inventions and technology, which is constantly being improved. This suggests that every achievement has a downside, and someday it may appear in all its glory.

As we know, not only excessive solar activity is now being actively discussed, but also the possibility of an asteroid falling, melting polar ice, the dangers of the Large Hadron Collider, epidemics, floods and much more. Some even talk about the rise of machines and the invasion of representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations. On the other hand, messages appear in literature and in the press that the time has come for the transformation of humanity, and that in order to survive, people must change spiritually and morally. Most often, such transformations are associated with the possibilities of religions and esoteric movements. Despite the fact that many forecasts are not very optimistic, people are beginning to think about their place in the world and what they need to do in order to survive. Maybe changing enough people could prevent a disaster or make it less destructive. Each of us can only work on ourselves and hope for the best.

According to the Solar X-ray Astronomy Laboratory (FIAN), this is an X8.2 level event. A flare of level X8.2 (the second event in a week, one of the largest in the history of solar observations) was recorded yesterday evening at about 19:00 Moscow time. The second burst of activity, which began on September 7, after a daily pause that accompanied the X9.3 flare of September 6, ended in the same way as the first. Unable to burn all the energy that is now continuously thrown into the atmosphere of the Sun along with those emerging from its depths magnetic fluxes, our star got rid of its “problems” with one powerful explosion - an X8.2 flare, the second most powerful since 2005, and second only to its direct predecessor, which occurred four days earlier.

Planet Earth is bombarded by heavy particles coming from the Sun. The illustration shows images coming from the LASCO C3 space coronagraph, located on the Sun-Earth line at the Lagrange point L1 (1.5 million kilometers from our planet). The entire field of view of the telescope is “strewn” with traces of flare particles. The size of the telescope detector is approximately 1.5 by 1.5 cm2. One can imagine the density of particle fluxes bombarding a spacecraft. Near-Earth satellites, as well as the Earth’s ionosphere, which was supposed to bear the brunt of the hard X-ray and ultraviolet radiation flashes.

Judging by the shape of the flare emission profile ( fast growth followed by a long decline), the flare was accompanied by a large ejection of matter that went into interplanetary space. The speed and direction of the release have not yet been determined.

Despite the power of the flare, the mass ejection containing the main energy of the explosion will not reach the Earth.

The solar flare that occurred, although visible from Earth, occurred on back side solar disk. One can only guess what its true score was, since part of the energy simply did not reach the Earth due to the shielding of the flare by the disk. We can say that this time the Earth was shielded from the new explosion by the Sun itself. The central vector of the explosion was directed not towards the Earth, but away from our planet. Considering the current location of the planets of the solar system, the main powerful blow this time will fall on Venus, which is now located almost exactly on the central line of the ejection.

Despite the unexpectedness and incredible power of the events occurring on the Sun, astronomers continue to consider them as a one-time burst of activity - probably the last before the long hibernation of the Sun, into which it was supposed to fall (and seemed to have already fallen) for the next few years.

Why are solar flares dangerous?

Solar flares, which produce powerful proton streams, significantly increase the level of radiation, causing people to outer space can easily be exposed to very serious radiation. There is a serious risk of exposure even for airline passengers. And of course, during solar flares, people with weakened immune systems suffer, those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases, migraines, jumps and changes blood pressure, people with chronic diseases, as well as mentally unbalanced people. It is not yet clear whether the unmotivated double murder that occurred last night in the village of Churilovo is related to solar flares.

On last week 4 powerful flares occurred on the Sun at once. One of them turned out to be the strongest in the last 12 years and was among the largest explosions on the surface of the star in the entire history of observations. On Earth, these phenomena did not go unnoticed: many people felt unwell, and cases of equipment failure were recorded. Astronomer Anatoly Ryabtsev explained the dangers of solar flares and how you can protect yourself from the consequences of cosmic disasters.

Influence of the Sun

Flares on the Sun are invisible to the human eye, however, according to scientists, on the star itself this phenomenon looks like a huge nuclear explosion. “Energy accumulates in the solar atmosphere,” explains the astronomer. “And when there is too much of it, an explosion occurs, releasing a plasma cloud that can weigh billions of tons and fly at speeds of hundreds of kilometers per second.”

Most often, such outbreaks last no longer than 10 minutes, and the most severe ones last several hours. If the flow is directed towards the Earth, the consequences of the outbreak will be clearly felt by the population of the planet. When particles ejected by the Sun reach the Earth at enormous speed, the flow interacts with its magnetic field and makes adjustments not only to the well-being of people, but also to the operation of electronic devices.

Weather-sensitive people are at risk

The plasma ejected by the Sun reaches the Earth in the next two to three days after the start of the flare. During this entire time, magnetic storms will rage on the planet, the power of which depends on the force of the explosion on the surface of the Sun. Thus, after the outbreak of September 8, there were malfunctions in the operation of equipment on Earth: many noted that their Cell phones they stopped receiving signals, and some cable TV channels stopped broadcasting. “Explosions on the Sun also affect telecommunications equipment,” says Ryabtsev. “Powerful flares can disable not only telephones, but also entire communications satellites and even spacecraft: the blast wave can be so strong.”

Scientists have proven that during solar activity most often occur on Earth natural disasters- hurricanes, earthquakes. Solar flares also have a great impact on the Earth's population. First of all, the danger to people is associated with increased radiation levels.

When an explosion occurs on the surface of a star, powerful streams of protons are formed, which enhance the radiation around it. “So far, radiation from the Sun has not reached the Earth,” says the astronomer. “But astronauts may be at risk.”

For the common population, explosions in the Sun are fraught with deterioration in well-being; such outbreaks will especially affect the health of weather-sensitive people. Usually, in the first hours after an explosion, people experience general malaise, which can later turn into severe headache and joint pain, nervous disorder increased blood pressure and decreased concentration. “On days of solar activity, various accidents are most likely due to human factor", notes Ryabtsev.

How to escape from a magnetic storm?

People with chronic diseases, weakened immune systems and sleep disorders suffer the most from solar flares. To cope with the consequences of magnetic storms, experts advise limiting yourself from bad habits- smoking and alcohol. In addition, it is better to exclude heavy and fatty foods from the diet - fried meat, fast food. “I would recommend not driving during periods of solar activity,” Ryabtsev emphasizes. - On such days, a person’s brain activity is somewhat inhibited, and he cannot take quick solutions on road. It’s better to play it safe and use public transport or walk.”

To make the magnetic storm less acute, you need to drink more water and eat berries, fruits and vegetables. “Walk outside more, but avoid open sun rays, advises the astronomer. - Tea with herbs helps many people. If you follow these simple rules, solar flares will pass unnoticed by you!”

Solar flare –explosive process of releasing energy (kinetic, light and heat) into upper layers Sun.

Flashes cover all layers solar atmosphere: photosphere, chromosphere and corona. Let us immediately note that solar flares and coronal mass ejections are distinct and independent manifestations of solar activity.

Solar flares tend to occur at interaction sites sunspots opposite magnetic polarity, or rather near the neutral line magnetic field, separating the regions of northern and southern polarity. The energy release of a powerful solar flare can reach 6 × 10 25 J, which is 160 billion megatons of TNT or the approximate amount of global electricity consumption over 1 million years.

Animation showing two solar flares (X2.2, X9.3) that occurred on September 6, 2017. Credit: SDO

Flares are the largest explosive events in the Solar System. They are visible as bright areas on the Sun and can last from a few minutes to several hours. Photons from the flare reach Earth approximately 8.5 minutes after it begins; Then, within a few tens of minutes, powerful streams of charged particles arrive, and plasma clouds reach our planet only after two or three days.

Solar flare intensity

Flash energy determined in the visible range electromagnetic waves by the product of the glow area in the hydrogen emission line, which characterizes the heating of the lower chromosphere, and the brightness of this glow, associated with the power of the source.

A classification based on continuous homogeneous measurements of the amplitude of thermal X-ray bursts in the energy range of 0.5-10 keV (with a wavelength of 0.5-8 angstroms) carried out by some artificial Earth satellites is also used.

According to the classification, which was proposed in 1970 by D. Baker, a solar flare is assigned a score - a designation from Latin letter and the index behind it. The letter can be A, B, C, M or X depending on the magnitude of the X-ray intensity peak.

Solar flares online

The choice for classifying X-ray flares is due to a more accurate fixation of the process: if in the optical range even the largest flares increase radiation by a fraction of a percent, then in the region of soft X-ray radiation (1 nanometer) - by several orders of magnitude, and hard X-ray radiation is not created by the quiet Sun at all and is formed exclusively during outbreaks.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a solar flare (X8.2) on September 10, 2017. The image shows the combination of wavelengths ultraviolet light, releasing extremely hot material in flashes. Credits: NASA/SDO/Goddard

Registration of X-ray radiation from the Sun, since it is completely absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere, began with the first launch of the Sputnik-2 spacecraft, so data on the intensity of X-ray radiation from solar flares before 1957 is completely absent.

Dangerous or not? Impact of solar flares

Solar flares are of practical importance in studying the elemental composition of surfaces celestial body with a rarefied atmosphere or in its absence, acting as an X-ray exciter for X-ray fluorescence spectrometers installed on board spacecraft.

Hard ultraviolet and X-ray radiation from flares is the main factor responsible for the formation of the ionosphere, which can also significantly change the properties of the Earth’s upper atmosphere: its density increases significantly, which leads to rapid decline orbital altitudes of artificial satellites (up to 1 kilometer per day).

Plasma clouds ejected during flares lead to geomagnetic storms, which in a certain way influence technology and people’s well-being. The branch of biophysics that studies the influence of changes in the activity of the Sun and the disturbances of the Earth's magnetosphere caused by it on organisms is called heliobiology. Flares also create aurora, most often near the poles.

Geomagnetic storms

Geomagnetic storm – disturbance of the geomagnetic field lasting from several hours to several days.

Geomagnetic storms are one of the types geomagnetic activity. They are caused by the entry of disturbed solar wind streams into the Earth's vicinity and their interaction with the Earth's magnetosphere.

The frequency of occurrence of moderate and strong storms on Earth has a clear correlation with the 11-year cycle of solar activity: with an average frequency of about 30 storms per year, their number can be 1-2 storms per year near the solar minimum and reach 50 storms per year near the solar maximum.

Classification of magnetic storms

K-index – is the deviation of the Earth's magnetic field from normal over a three-hour interval. The index was introduced by Julius Bartels in 1938 and represents values from 0 to 9 for each three-hour interval (00:00 - 03:00, 03:00 - 06:00, 06:00 - 09:00, etc.) world time.

Kp-index – this is the planetary index. It is calculated as the average value of K-indices determined at 13 geomagnetic observatories located between 44 and 60 degrees northern and southern geomagnetic latitudes. Its range is also from 0 to 9.

G-index – five-point scale of magnetic storm strength, which was introduced National Directorate oceanic and atmospheric research USA (NOAA) in November 1999. The G-index characterizes the intensity of a geomagnetic storm based on the impact of variations in the Earth's magnetic field on people, animals, electrical engineering, communications, navigation, etc. On this scale, magnetic storms are divided into levels from G1 (weak storms) to G5 (extremely strong storms). G-index corresponds to Kp minus 4; that is, G1 corresponds to Kp=5, G2 corresponds to Kp=6, etc.

Magnetic storms online. Magnetic storm forecast

The role of stellar flares in the origin of life

Oddly enough, scientists believe that. Powerful solar explosions may have played a decisive role in heating the Earth. The released energy transformed simple molecules into complex ones, such as DNA and RNA, necessary for life.

About 4 billion years ago, the Earth received only 70% of the energy from the Sun compared to what we have today. This means that our planet must have been. Instead, geological evidence suggests that it was warm and had oceans of liquid water. Scientists call this the "Faint Young Sun Paradox."

The Sun still produces flares and mass ejections, but they are not as frequent or intense as before. Moreover, today, which saves us from most of the energy reaching our planet. But our young planet had a weaker magnetic field. Scientists' calculations show that at that time, space weather particles traveled down magnetic field lines, crashing into the abundance of nitrogen molecules in the atmosphere, changing chemistry and creating the conditions for life.

At the same time, too a large number of energy can be detrimental to young planets. , if the magnetosphere is too weak. Understanding these processes will help scientists determine which stars and which planets may be hospitable to life.

Sun- a mysterious star that has a great influence throughout solar system. Without it, life on planet Earth will be impossible. The star keeps many secrets, and one of them is solar flares. What is this amazing phenomenon?

The whole planet could be left without electrical energy . Solar flares can cause powerful magnetic storms. Weak storms constantly create disturbances and interfere with the smooth operation of electrical appliances. What can we say about strong storms? They are capable of completely depriving our planet of electricity in a matter of hours.
Solar flares can kill people. Solar flares have a very strong effect on people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. If strong solar activity continues for too long, the world will lose thousands of people in an instant.
Volcanoes erupt due to the Sun. Solar flares significantly affect volcanic activity. Strong fluctuations in the Sun can cause volcanic eruptions around the world. However, if they are strong enough, an eruption can occur even in the calmest parts of the world.
The strongest activity was recorded in 1859. This resulted in the failure of all magnetic instruments and telegraphs. At first, this situation caused widespread shock. People thought that this was heaven's retribution for committed sins and bad deeds. But the scientific world was much more educated; it figured out the reason for the failure of all instruments.
Will you be able to see her? Surely many would like to experience extreme situation when the world will be without electricity. However, it's not that simple. Violent outbreaks that can cut off power to the entire world and plunge it into chaos occur only once every 500 years.
The energy of one flash is simply incredible. It is equal to a sixth of the energy released by the Sun in 1 second or the volume of global energy consumption in 1 million years! This is enormous power that is impressive in its scope.
Some people claim to have seen a UFO. But is it? Unfortunately, astrology and physics are not the most strong point the majority of society. It's a pity. After all, then people would understand that they were observing plasma clouds that create solar flares. They are often mistaken for UFOs.
It is impossible to predict a surge in order to protect yourself from it! Despite the amazing technologies of our time, we must warn humanity against solar threat scientists won't be able to. Even NASA only gives forecasts a couple of days in advance. For such short term Almost no one can protect themselves. We can only hope that scientists will invent a way to predict earlier.
Previously, solar flares were called chromospheric. This lasted until the moment scientists realized that the Sun, at the moment of a small explosion, emits not one type of energy, but three - light, thermal and kinetic.
How to understand where the next surge will occur? It turns out that all this happens not just anywhere, but in special places. Flares occur where sunspots of opposite magnetic polarity interact and near a magnetic line.
When should we expect the next peak? It's no use waiting, the next one won't happen soon. The peak of solar activity occurred in the fall of 2012. After all, religious people associated the end of the world with this event.
Where do outbreaks occur? It turned out that they occur not only in the stellar atmosphere, but also in the corona and chromosphere. Scientists were mistaken in believing that flares could only occur in one part of the Sun.
Stellar flares occur at amazing speed. The plasma heats up and the particles reach the speed of light. On average, the surge lasts from several minutes.
Astronauts should be very careful. During a strong solar storm, they are given 15 minutes (!) to take cover and protect themselves from the strongest dose of radiation.
Anyone can watch the warm star! This is true. On the Internet you will find many sites that draw information from space sites. You can watch online physical processes in the sun. Perhaps you will be the first to see something unusual!