Researchers at Kyoto University used both ground-based and satellite observations to capture the superflare in the binary star system V1355 Orionis. The superflare began with a powerful eruption of the bulge, potentially leading to coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, provides new insights into the formation of superflares and their possible impact on the evolution of the planet and life.

A team of Japanese astronomers used simultaneous ground-based and space-based observations to get a more complete picture of the star’s superglare. The observed flare began with a very powerful, high-speed explosion of the bulge. These results give us a better understanding of how super flares and bulges erupt.

Some stars have been observed to emit superflares 10 times larger than the largest solar flare ever seen on the Sun. Hot ionized gas emitted by solar flares can affect the environment around Earth, called space weather. Stronger superflares should have an even greater impact on the evolution of any planets forming around the star, or any life forming on those planets. But the details of how superflares and bulges erupt in stars remain unclear.

A team led by Shun Inoue of Kyoto University used the 3.8-metre Seimei Telescope and Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) in Japan to observe the binary star system V1355 Orion, known to frequently produce large-scale superflares. V1355 Orion is located 400 light-years away in the constellation of Orion.

The team was able to capture the superflare using continuous observations with high temporal resolution. Analysis of the data shows that the superflare is caused by a phenomenon known as a bulge explosion. Calculating the launch velocity requires making some assumptions about aspects that cannot be directly observed, but even the most cautious estimates are well above the star’s escape velocity (347 km/s), suggesting that the bulge may have ruptured. the evolution of the star’s gravity and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The eruption of the ledge was also one of the largest ever observed, ejecting trillions of tons of material.