Artificial Intelligence To Forecast Solar Flares
A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun surface. This is a large release of  energy measuring up to 6 × 1025 joules of energy which is about a sixth of the total energy output of the Sun each second. Solar flares can have a strong and direct influence  on the local space weather in the vicinity of Earth. These solar flares follow the 11-year cycle, known as the solar cycle.
Though, most flares are not hazardous, there occur from time to time, solar flares capable of potential damage to Earth. Massive solar flares have been known to knock out electric power for extended periods of time. The biggest solar flare ever recorded was on 1 September 1859, witnessed by an English solar astronomer named Richard Carrington. Telegraph wires in Europe and North America caught fires. If such a Solar Flare will be recorded again, disaster could strike the electronic age. Hence researchers have taken to automated image-processing and artificial intelligence to predict the sun's behaviour to prevent such a hazard.
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Piet Martens of Montana State University in Bozeman and his team are automating the process of studying the sun. The team extracts the data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which is orbiting 36,000 kilometres above the Earth, synced to the sun's orbit. The SDO craft analyses the surface of sun through images in 10 different wavelengths. Each set of images is sent back every 12 seconds. In all, a total of 1.5 TB of data is collected per day.
The huge load of data plus identifying sun's features becomes a difficult task for the researchers. To counter this, 15 image-processing programs, each examining a different aspect of sun's activity were designed. Each image will also be designated a "signature"  that can be compared with archive images to check its occurrence, which can be then used as a reference for future events.
These techniques will become more fruitful with bigger solar observatories such as Advanced Technology Solar Telescope and European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#Â Image Credit:#-Link-Snipped-#
Though, most flares are not hazardous, there occur from time to time, solar flares capable of potential damage to Earth. Massive solar flares have been known to knock out electric power for extended periods of time. The biggest solar flare ever recorded was on 1 September 1859, witnessed by an English solar astronomer named Richard Carrington. Telegraph wires in Europe and North America caught fires. If such a Solar Flare will be recorded again, disaster could strike the electronic age. Hence researchers have taken to automated image-processing and artificial intelligence to predict the sun's behaviour to prevent such a hazard.
#-Link-Snipped-#
Piet Martens of Montana State University in Bozeman and his team are automating the process of studying the sun. The team extracts the data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which is orbiting 36,000 kilometres above the Earth, synced to the sun's orbit. The SDO craft analyses the surface of sun through images in 10 different wavelengths. Each set of images is sent back every 12 seconds. In all, a total of 1.5 TB of data is collected per day.
The huge load of data plus identifying sun's features becomes a difficult task for the researchers. To counter this, 15 image-processing programs, each examining a different aspect of sun's activity were designed. Each image will also be designated a "signature"  that can be compared with archive images to check its occurrence, which can be then used as a reference for future events.
These techniques will become more fruitful with bigger solar observatories such as Advanced Technology Solar Telescope and European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter.
Source: #-Link-Snipped-#Â Image Credit:#-Link-Snipped-#
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