The sun could hurl out a powerful "superflare" that would disrupt civilisation on Earth, scientists have warned.
Every so often, stars throw out huge bursts of energy that can be seen right across galaxies, from hundreds of light years away.
Scientists had believed Earth might be safe, because such events largely happen on younger and more active stars. But new discoveries suggest that more mature stars like our own sun could also throw out the destructive blasts.
If such a flare were to hit, it could cause damage to electronics across the globe. That in turn would bring widespread blackouts and the destruction of communications satellites that orbit above our heads.
Such an event is more rare on older and more quiet stars like ours, they say. But they are more confident than ever that they can happen, and that they should be expected once in every few thousand years.
The researchers behind the discovery called on authorities to respond to the danger and make sure that Earth is safe.
"Our study shows that superflares are rare events," said Yuta Notsu, lead author of a new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society. "But there is some possibility that we could experience such an event in the next 100 years or so."
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