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Normal Stars
If solar flares were more powerful or frequent the climate could be severely
affected, as would the ozone layer which protects us from the harmful effects of
ultraviolet
radiation. Life as we know it could become difficult if not impossible. Presently
there is not enough evidence to determine if such changes are likely. X-ray
observations of a large number of stars similar to the Sun are essential for
understanding the long term behavior of the Sun, and consequently, the long-term
weather forecast for Earth.
Certain stars, called flare stars, have surfaces that are in a constant state of
turmoil. These stars flare almost continually and the flares are a hundred or
more times more powerful than solar flares. Flare stars are less than half as
massive as the Sun. Because of their small masses, their interiors are much more
turbulent and they are rotating more rapidly. This combination of turbulence and
rotation produces large, severely twisted magnetic regions, which lead to large
flares.
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