"filament eruption" phase tagged posts

A Young, Sun-like Star may hold Warnings for Life on Earth

Artist’s depiction of the star EK Draconis ejecting a coronal mass ejection as two planets orbit. (Credit: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)

Astronomers spying on a stellar system located dozens of lightyears from Earth have, for the first time, observed a troubling fireworks show: A star, named EK Draconis, ejected a massive burst of energy and charged particles much more powerful than anything scientists have seen in our own solar system.

The researchers, including astrophysicist Yuta Notsu of the University of Colorado Boulder, will publish their results Dec. 9 in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The study explores a stellar phenomenon called a “coronal mass ejection,” sometimes known as a solar storm...

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