The Sun, the driving force of the solar system, frequently releases powerful radiation and solar flares. According to scientists at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the Sun may one day produce even stronger superflares, and these violent eruptions in space could turn into a serious threat to Earth's technological infrastructure.

The researchers analysed 300 powerful solar flares measured between 2010 and 2016 along with their energy output. Natalie Krivova, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, said the study found a clear statistical link between the energy of a solar flare and the size of the active region behind it. The findings show that the Sun has an inherent capacity to generate superflares — enormous sunspot regions like these are believed to serve as the primary sources of extreme radiation outbursts on such a scale.

Looking back through sunspot records preserved over four centuries, the researchers identified a gigantic sunspot in 1947. This colossal sunspot covered about 0.6 per cent of the Sun's visible disk, making it nearly 40 times wider than the diameter of Earth.

Scientists believe these superflares were the main cause of the severe solar storms that struck Earth in the past. However, this study did not clearly determine how likely or how frequent such superflares actually are. While future powerful solar storms may not directly affect human health, they could disrupt our modern technology and communication systems. That is why understanding exactly when and how the Sun produces these extreme superflares is so important.

Source: Science Alert