Sun-like stars experience superflares roughly once per century

A superflare erupts from a young sunlike star in this artist’s impression. Credit: CfA/Melissa Weiss Solar flares are bright flashes of light from the Sun that release large amounts of electromagnetic radiation. And while normal flares can release as much as 1025 joules of energy, so-called superflares, observed on other stars, are up to 10,000 … Read more

Violent superflares explode from sun-like stars every 100 years

High-energy, powerful, and violent stellar explosions called “superflares” have been found to erupt from stars like the sun roughly once every 100 years, making these blasts far more common than scientists had thought. Solar flares, eruptions of high-energy radiation, can have serious effects on Earth, with the potential to impact communication systems and power infrastructure. … Read more