Global Geological And Climatic Events

Sympathetic Solar Flares

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Sympathetic Solar Flares, Coronal Mass Ejections (CME), Solar Cycle

Mains level: NA

Why in the news?

A rare celestial event unfolded as four solar flares called as Sympathetic Solar Flares simultaneously, signaling the onset of the Sun’s dynamic 11-year solar cycle.

What is a Solar Cycle?

  • Given the Sun’s dynamic nature, electrically charged gases on its surface generate powerful magnetic fields, known as magnetic fields.
  • These magnetic fields undergo stretching, twisting, and tangling due to the constant movement of gases on the Sun’s surface, resulting in solar activity.
  • Scientists monitor solar cycles using sunspots. Solar activity fluctuates throughout the solar cycle, which typically spans about 11 years
  • The onset of a solar cycle typically features minimal sunspot activity, termed as a solar minimum.
  • For instance, the last Solar Cycle 25 commenced in December 2019, characterized by a low number of sunspots.

What are Sympathetic Solar Flares?

  • Sympathetic solar flares are solar eruptions that occur in close temporal and spatial proximity to another solar flare or eruption.
  • These events are believed to be interconnected through magnetic fields or other physical processes occurring on the Sun.
  • When a solar flare or eruption happens on the Sun, it releases a burst of electromagnetic radiation and charged particles into space.
  • In some cases, the energy released during these events can cause disturbances in the Sun’s magnetic field.
  • These disturbances can trigger the occurrence of additional flares loop or eruptions in nearby regions of the Sun’s surface.
  • This event follows coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and intense plasma bursts.

Implications for Earth

  • Potential impacts include disruptions to power grids, interference with communication networks, and increased radiation exposure for astronauts and aircraft passengers.
  • Solar storms can lead to spectacular natural light shows known as auroras, which are typically visible near the Earth’s magnetic poles.

PYQ:

[2012] The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the air is slowly raising the temperature of the atmosphere, because it absorbs:

(a) the water vapour of the air and retains its heat

(b) the ultraviolet part of the solar radiation

(c) all the solar radiations

(d) the infrared part of the solar radiation

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