Sun has potential for superflares, new study finds

New research suggests the Sun has the potential to produce superflares, massive plasma eruptions that release more energy than trillions of hydrogen bombs. While such events have only been observed on distant sun-like stars, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research and the University of Colorado have determined that the Sun possesses the necessary capacity to generate them.

By analyzing patterns from hundreds of flares captured by NASA satellites and applying them to historical data, researchers found that the largest sunspot group ever recorded—appearing in April 1947—could have theoretically produced a flare up to 100 times more powerful than any directly measured by humans. While the 1859 Carrington Event is often cited as a benchmark for solar storms, this theoretical model suggests the 1947 sunspot could have unleashed significantly more energy.

Researchers emphasize that these findings do not claim a superflare actually occurred in 1947, as no such event was recorded. Instead, the study serves to test the Sun’s outer limits and understand the potential risks that extreme solar activity poses to satellites, power grids, and radio communications.