EarthSky.org: Ancient Solar Activity – This artist’s concept showcases an active sun: a solar flare, a coronal mass ejection or CME and a solar energetic particle event. Image via NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Did an active sun kickstart life on Earth?
Posted by Kelly Kizer Whitt
Our sun has been active this week. And its overall activity is increasing as it nears solar maximum, expected for the mid-2020s. But, even at maximum, solar activity is nothing now in contrast to the young sun’s activity during Earth’s formative years. During Earth’s first 100 million years, when the sun was only about 1/3 as bright as it is now, it popped off strong solar eruptions known as superflares about every three to 10 earthly days. Those superflares – powerful explosions on our star, with energies 10 thousand times greater than typical solar flares – occur today only about every 100 years. According to a new study – previewed online by NASA on May 2, 2023 – life might have arisen when solar particles from these events collided with gasses in Earth’s early atmosphere.
And so the sun – our life-giving star, which sustains us with its light and warmth – might also have kickstarted earthly life.
Complete Article on EarthSky.org
