In the next 100 years, a massive solar flare will occur, which will disrupt power systems around the world, damage satellites and disconnect the Internet. The resulting man-made accidents can also lead to human casualties. This is the conclusion reached by American experts at Harvard University. This is reported by the New Scientist edition.
Scientists have analyzed data on the occurred solar flares. They estimated the likelihood of superflares, including those that increase the brightness of the Sun by 30 percent and can "blow off" the ozone layer on Earth. It is believed that during these events energy is released, approximately equal to 10 36 erg, which is several orders of magnitude higher than the usual luminosity of the Sun (10 33 pg per second). For some solar-type stars, astronomers have recorded even more powerful flares - up to 10 38 erg. However, such outbreaks occur about once every 20 million years.
According to the conclusion of the researchers, less intense superflares occur more often, the energy of which is about 10 32 erg. Thus, the solar "superstorm" in 1859 led to a geomagnetic storm known as the Carrington Event. It has caused telegraph network outages in Europe and the United States, as well as bright auroras in low latitudes. It is highly likely that such an outbreak will occur before the end of the 21st century, as a result of which orbiting satellites will fail, aircraft passengers will receive high doses of radiation, and the operation of power systems and cooling systems at nuclear power plants will be disrupted.