Solar flare erupting from a sunspot [image credit: space.com] Using trees as solar cycle and cosmic ray detectors here. The researchers say: ‘Notably, other evidence suggests that the sun was also undergoing a decades-long period of increasing activity.’ We may ask, with a view to the current era: how often does that happen, and why?
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The sun constantly emits a stream of energetic particles, some of which reach Earth, says Phys.org.
The density and energy of this stream form the basis of space weather, which can interfere with the operation of satellites and other spacecraft.
A key unresolved question in the field is the frequency with which the sun emits bursts of energetic particles strong enough to disable or destroy space-based electronics.
One promising avenue for determining the rate of such events is the dendrochronological record. This approach relies on the process by which a solar…
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