logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
12m 15s

When The Sun Erupts

NPR
About this episode
We are at the height of the Sun's activity in its eleven year cycle, known to astronomers as the solar maximum. This means that over the next several months there's going to be a lot of solar activity. It's got us thinking back to 1859. That's when astronomer Richard Carrington was studying the Sun when he witnessed the most intense geomagnetic storm recorded in history. The storm, triggered by a giant solar flare, sent brilliant auroral displays across the globe causing electrical sparking and fires in telegraph stations. This encore episode, Regina talks to solar physicist Dr. Samaiyah Farid about what's now known as the Carrington event and about what may happen the next time a massive solar storm hits Earth.

Want to hear us cover other parts of the solar system? Email the show at shortwave@npr.org to let us know!

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
Evolution Went On Trial 100 Years Ago. Where Are We Now?
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" — where a teacher was charged with the crime of teaching Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. At the time, it was illegal in Tennessee to "teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creatio ... Show More
12m 37s
Jul 8
Itchy? Air Pollution May Be Making It Worse
Short Wave producer Hannah Chinn has adult-onset eczema. They're not the only one. Up to ten percent of people in the United States have it, according to the National Eczema Association — and its prevalence is increasing. Despite its ubiquity, a lot about this skin condition rema ... Show More
13m 11s
Jul 7
Sea Camp: Why Are Ocean Currents Shifting?
A warming climate doesn't just affect dry land — it affects the ocean, too. For years, Earth's ocean has acted as a heat sink for climate change: A large part of the heat generated by human use of fossil fuels is being absorbed by the ocean. And while the deep sea is largely unaf ... Show More
12m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
Tempêtes solaires : les Terriens à la merci de leur étoile
Initialement prévu en 2025, le prochain pic d’activité solaire devrait finalement avoir lieu d’ici à la fin de l’année 2024. Et cet événement, paroxysme de la perturbation cyclique du champ magnétique de notre étoile, sera suivi de près par les scientifiques : une poignée de fois ... Show More
18m 46s
Jul 2014
The Sun
Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the Sun. The object that gives the Earth its light and heat is a massive ball of gas and plasma 93 million miles away. Thanks to the nuclear fusion reactions taking place at its core, the Sun has been shining for four and a half billion years. ... Show More
47m 27s
Jun 2021
The Carrington Event, Part I: The Sun is Acting Strange
When amateur astronomer Richard Carrington gazed through his telescope on the morning of September 1st, 1859, he noticed something weird about the surface of the sun -- it seemed to have clusters of dark spots. Later historians would recognize this as the earliest observation of ... Show More
25m 55s
Jun 2023
2Fast 2Curious: Finding the source of the fast solar wind
Some solar mysteries, like the origin of the fast solar wind, can only be solved by getting up close and personal with the Sun. James Drake from the University of Maryland joins Planetary Radio this week to talk about the latest results from NASA's Parker Solar Probe as it soars ... Show More
54m 21s
Jan 2020
Solar Wind
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the flow of particles from the outer region of the Sun which we observe in the Northern and Southern Lights, interacting with Earth's magnetosphere, and in comet tails that stream away from the Sun regardless of their own direction. One way of defi ... Show More
55m 13s
Feb 2024
Exploring solar eclipses through time
This week on Planetary Radio, we delve into the evolution of humanity's relationship with one of our planet's most awe-inspiring phenomena: total solar eclipses. Ed Krupp, the director of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, will share insights from the fascinating field of archa ... Show More
52m 8s
Apr 2021
Pourquoi les éclipses de Soleil sont vouées à disparaitre ?
Rediffusion (je reviens le 26 avril ;)Les interactions entre la Terre et la Lune expliquent l'éloignement de notre satellite naturel. Ce phénomène, ainsi que la situation actuelle du Soleil, expliquent la raréfaction, puis la fin programmée des éclipses solaires totales... Voir A ... Show More
2m 1s
Mar 2023
Block the sun, save the earth?
Solar geoengineering — the idea of cooling the planet by deflecting the sun’s rays — is so risky that scientists and policy experts can’t even agree on whether to research it.This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette and Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by La ... Show More
27m 6s