Understanding Our Nearest Star: Solar Flares, Magnetic Explosions, and their Societal Impact

While our nearest star, the Sun, provides the conditions necessary for life on Earth, it also produces the most energetic events in the solar system. Solar flares release enormous amounts of energy, including intense and harmful X-ray radiation, and some eruptions are powerful enough to spew vast quantities of solar material into interplanetary space, occasionally impacting Earth and other planets. In extreme cases, these events can be catastrophic: beyond producing spectacular auroral displays ??" such as those visible from the Bay Area in May 2024 ??" they can damage commercial and military satellites, disrupt power grids, and pose serious risks to astronauts engaged in space exploration.

Speaker: Georgios Chintzoglou, Lockheed Martin