The Sun is Not Always Happy: Space Weather and the Question of Human Survivability

The talk is part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series (through Foothill College), now in its 23rd year.

Dec. 7th, 2022
Dr. Tom Berger (University of Colorado)
“The Sun is Not Always Happy: Space Weather and the Question of Human Survivability"

The Sun can unleash violent “space weather” -- storms that can radiate X-rays and even gamma rays into space, send giant clouds of magnetic plasma slamming into the Earth and other planets, and spray firehoses of charged particles throughout interplanetary space. On Earth, we are mostly protected from the Sun’s wrath by our magnetic field and atmosphere, but astronauts venturing to the Moon and Mars will be vulnerable to these potentially deadly solar storms. Dr. Berger discusses our current understanding of the interplanetary space environment, describes some extreme space weather events in history, and examines how well we can currently predict space weather and its impacts.

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