Scientists measure gamma rays from solar flares using specialized space-based instruments designed to detect and analyze very high-energy photons that cannot penetrate Earth’s atmosphere. These gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation with energies typically above 100 keV, often reaching into the…
Solar flares are intense bursts of energy from the Sun that release radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, and radio waves. When a solar flare occurs, it emits a sudden flash of energy that can…
Gamma rays emitted by solar flares and those produced by nuclear bombs differ significantly in their origins, intensities, and contexts, making a direct comparison complex. However, in terms of raw energy and intensity at their source, gamma rays from nuclear…
Gamma rays produced by solar flares can travel vast distances through space, essentially spreading out from the Sun and moving outward in all directions. Because gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation—like visible light but with much higher energy—they…
Solar flares are intense bursts of radiation from the Sun that emit energy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including both X-rays and gamma rays. While both are forms of high-energy electromagnetic radiation, **solar flare X-rays and gamma rays differ primarily…
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are massive bursts of solar plasma and magnetic fields ejected from the Sun’s corona into space. These eruptions can release billions of tons of charged particles traveling at millions of kilometers per hour. While CMEs are…
Gamma rays form when solar particles collide with matter primarily because these collisions can excite atomic nuclei or produce high-energy interactions that release energy in the form of gamma radiation. To understand why this happens, it helps to break down…
Solar flares release both X-rays and gamma rays, but they emit significantly more X-rays than gamma rays. These intense bursts of energy occur when magnetic energy stored in the Sun’s atmosphere is suddenly released, heating solar plasma to tens of…
Gamma rays produced by solar flares typically have energies ranging from tens of millions of electron volts (MeV) up to several billion electron volts (GeV). Observations from instruments like the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) have detected solar flare gamma…
Gamma rays from solar flares are generally not dangerous to humans on Earth’s surface because Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field provide strong protection against this type of high-energy radiation. Solar flares do emit gamma rays, which are extremely energetic electromagnetic…