MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Re: Is it possible for a solar flare to reach Mercury? If so, has it happened?

Date: Thu Mar 14 02:35:14 2002
Posted By: Peter Thejll, Staff, Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Danish Meteorological Institute
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 1016053740.As
Message:

Yes, because solar flares reach Earth and Earth is outside Mercury's orbit - and Venus'.

By 'Solar Flare' I think you mean those eruptions of matter from the solar surface you can see on specially made films. These huge eruptions throw gas and ionized particles into space at great speed.

When these particles reach Earth they are captured in the Earth's magnetic field and are funneled towards the poles where they produce spectacular Aurorae. This happens because there is air on Earth that can be ionized by the particles.

On Mercury there is no atmosphere and therefore there will never be an Aurora. On Venus there is plenty of atmosphere but no magnetic field to trap the particles from the flare, so there aren't Aurorae there either. However, Aurorae have been seen on Jupiter which is much further out in the Solar System.


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