i was talking to my dad, and he said that at any moment, we could look into the sky, and see funny lights like the aurora boreallis, and be like "oooh, thats pretty" and then die a few seconds or days later.
apparently that would be a solar flare from the sun hitting the earrth. ive been told that solar flares can and have shot out that far enough from the sun to hit earth in the past, weve just been lucky enough not to be in the way.
What exactly would a solar flare impacting the earth do? how long would it take, and what would the series of events be?
how probable is this?

cal823

thanks everyone for your help

Capuchin

If we didnt have the magnetic field, we would die in a matter of seconds, not from solar flares in particular, the solar wind would be plenty to kill us. The Earth wouldnt really be destroyed. Other planets survive just fine without a magnetic field.

asterisk_man

Take that picture yourself did ya Capuchin?

Capuchin

Yes, with a magnetic field camera.