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Can a solar blast destroy earth?

While a solar blast could potentially cause damage to Earth's technology and infrastructure, it is highly unlikely to completely destroy the planet. Earth's magnetic field helps to protect it from solar radiation, and the planet has survived many solar events in the past. However, a particularly powerful solar blast could disrupt technology and communication systems.


What is emitted from the sun?

The sun emits a wide range of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, ultraviolet light, and infrared radiation. These emissions are the result of nuclear fusion reactions occurring in the sun's core.


How many square feet of solar panel is needed to replace the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant?

A lot! The US Energy Information Administration says that the Vermont Yankee has a capacity of 620 megawatts during the summer. To generate 5 megawatts of solar power requires a solar farm about 30-35 acres large. Since 620 divided by 5 is 124, you would need 124 x 30 acres of solar plants. That comes to a total of 3,720 acres! One acre is 43,560 square feet. This means that it would require 162,043,200 square feet of solar farm to replace the facility which takes up less than one acre. And that's based on the low estimate. If you are looking for alternatives to the Vermont Yankee, I suggest you look elsewhere, because solar won't do it in Vermont.


How do solar eclipse flares impact Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field?

Solar eclipse flares can impact Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field by causing disturbances. These flares release energy and particles that can interact with the Earth's magnetic field, leading to disruptions in the ionosphere and potentially affecting communication and navigation systems. Additionally, the increased solar activity during a solar eclipse can contribute to changes in the Earth's magnetic field, which can have various effects on our planet.


Why is the solar radiation stronger in southern hemisphere?

As the Earth is currently oriented in space, the southern hemisphere is having summer when the Earth is closer to the Sun. So it will get more sunlight when the Earth is closer (by a couple of million miles). The gyroscope that is the Earth precesses once every 26,000 years, so in about 13,000 years the northern hemisphere will have stronger solar radiation as a year-round average than the southern hemisphere. The south pole also has positive ions arrive on the solar wind (the electrons are directed to the north pole by our magnetic field). Many of these positive ions are hydogen nucleii, which oxidize to water vapor... which both prevents some ozone production and accelerates the decay of ozone. But this is only effective for UV-B light, which is not included in most solar intensity studies, nor is it very effective much beyond the pole (unless it is winter there).