In a first, scientists create fiery solar flares in a lab to solve major Sun mystery

The Sun’s menacing solar flares are many times the size of earth. Massive geomagnetic storms can wreak havoc on our planet when solar flares eject CMEs (coronal mass ejections). Scientists have now been able to successfully replicate these solar flares in a lab, from the size of many earths to a man-made one that can fit inside a tiffin box. 

Powerful ejections from these solar flares can cause massive radio blackouts and power grid problems on earth. Scientists have been trying to solve the mystery of how these loops on the sun can form ejections that can harm humans on earth. Despite years of observing the sun, this remains unsolved till now. 

A team of scientists at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, United States, has created artificial fiery loops of the sun in a lab, as per a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy recently on April 6.

With the creation of the miniature solar flare, the scientists are trying to solve the mystery of their transformation into high energy projectiles. The solar flare loop created by the scientists was banana-sized, around 20 cm or 8 inches in length. It lasted for roughly 10 microseconds and consumed energy similar to what is required to keep the Pasadena city up in similar time, Livescience reported. The loops were captured using specialised cameras.