Solar Flares

The Sun, with a volume equivalent to 1.3 million Earths and a mass equivalent to 333 thousand Earths, has an enormous size and mass compared to the Earth. Despite these dimensions, the Sun, which is a medium-sized white star, is mainly composed of gases, the most important components of which are hydrogen, which makes up about 74%, helium, which makes up about 24%, oxygen, which makes up about 0.8%, and carbon, which makes up about 0.3%, as well as other elements such as neon, nitrogen, and iron.

While the temperature reaches approximately 15 million °C at the center of the Sun, it drops to 5,500 degrees on the visible surface and rises again to 1 to 3 million degrees in the outermost part, the corona (crown).

At these high temperatures, gases turn into plasma, the fourth state of matter, and the high pressure in the Sun's interior helps keep the gases in the plasma state. The Sun's strong magnetic field directs the movement of the ionic gases in the plasma state and helps the gases move in a certain order.

As a result of the movements of gases and the irregularity of the magnetic fields on the sun's surface, sudden energy releases occur in the sun and large amounts of energy, light and particles are emitted into space.

Therefore, the main causes of solar flares are the release of accumulated energy in the cases where the strong magnetic fields on the surface and in the inner structure of the Sun change, merge, separate and restructure over time, and the friction and energy accumulation caused by the movements of plasma gases on the surface and between the inside and outside. Solar flares can also occur in intense magnetic fields, in places where there are sunspots or other solar activities. (Sunspots are dark areas that have a lower temperature than their surroundings, formed due to changes in the magnetic field on the surface of the Sun.)

Solar flares are divided into Small Explosions (Class C), Medium Explosions (Class M), and Large Explosions (Class X). Depending on their intensity, the explosions can affect the spread of radio waves, cause magnetic storms, and disrupt satellite systems, GPS devices, and other technological devices. They can create intense cosmic rays, posing a threat to astronauts and high-altitude pilots.

To track solar flares, NASA and other space agencies use a variety of space observatories and telescopes to continuously monitor the Sun, gathering data to predict flares and potential impacts.