Sun potentially capable of producing superflares, study finds

A new study published in Philosophical Transactions A suggests that the Sun has the theoretical capacity to produce “superflares,” which are explosive bursts of radiation significantly more powerful than any solar flares currently on record.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, led by Natalie Krivova, analyzed data from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory collected between 2010 and 2016. By examining the relationship between the area of solar “Active Regions” (sunspots), the size of resultant flare ribbons, and the energy released, the team identified a statistical correlation where flare energy scales exponentially with the ribbon area.

If a superflare were to occur, it could release energy exceeding 10^34 ergs. This would be more than ten times the intensity of the 1859 Carrington Event, the most powerful solar storm in recorded history. Such an event could pose significant risks to modern technological infrastructure and Earth’s ionosphere.