Across the globe there’s heightened solar flare activity at the moment.
This is being linked by lunatic conspiracy theorists to “Nibiru”.
What are solar flares?
The sun is a ball of plasma consisting of gases which have been ionised due to the electrons stripped off by heat and pressure.
Every so often, the sun ejects massive tongues of material that flow out of the surface of the “ball”.
Those flares lead to a sudden increase in brightness and interfere with radio waves, causing high static when they reach the Earth.
The big ones can knock out radio communications (and radar) at specific wave-lengths for brief periods.
Along with sunspots storms on the solar surface that cause dark “pimples” these flares can be the bane of communication engineers.
Solar radiation, which carries quantities of x-rays and ultra-violet, can cause cancers and damage DNA.
How solar flares are averted by the earth?
The Earth’s magnetic field protects biological entities from the potentially dangerous effects of such solar activity by capturing charged particles in the upper atmosphere.
The region where charged particles are captured is called as the Van Allen belt.
Mars may be unfit for human colonisation precisely because it lacks a strong magnetic field, which means that the planet is open to unshielded radiation.
Scientists do understand a great deal on solar flares, and they expect to understand more as the research continues.
What is a Nibiru system?
Nibiru is a non-existent giant planet, which is rumoured to destroy the Earth sometime this November-December.
Nibiru was invented in 1995, it is invoked whenever there’s an earthquake, tsunami, or solar activity.
It’s the astronomical equivalent of a werewolf.
It has been debunked multiple times by scientists who are sick of being asked about it.
But the lack of proof about its existence is dismissed as a global conspiracy to hide evidence.
What is the recent claim?
The Nibiru or Planet X theory claims a mini solar system consisting of a sun, planets and moons is lurking on the edge of our system with a huge 3,600 miles orbit of the sun.
Nibiru believers are convinced the "rogue system" is making its way from the outer solar system inwards, where it will wreak havoc on Earth as it passes at about four million miles away.
They say the planet will cause the poles to switch, sparking great earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Nibiru system believers now claim it will be on an approach path with the Earth between November 20 and December 20.
