Sun Explosions with Lika Guhathakurta

About This Episode

Could a coronal mass ejection wipe out all electronics? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen learn about The Carrington Event, eclipses, and how the Parker Solar Probe doesn’t melt with heliophysicist Lika Guhathakurta.

How does energy get out of the sun? What happens below the sun’s surface? We break down the photosphere, helioseismology, and the sound of the sun. We discuss the 2024 North American solar eclipse and some of Lika’s favorite eclipses. What makes some longer than others?

We explore the category five coronal mass ejection that caused colorful auroras more south than before. What determines the color of the aurora? How much notice do we get before a CME reaches Earth? Can we predict when they happen? We break down the 1859 Carrington Event and what it would look like today. Could a CME wipe out all electronics? How big would the CME have to be?

Learn about the Parker Solar Probe and its mission to get closer to the sun than ever before. Could we touch the surface of the sun? How does the probe not melt? Discover the solar cycle and how AI is helping with solar research. Plus, could we ever control the sun?

Thanks to our Patrons Sharon Zapotocky, Suth Truong, Sarah Perry, Souren Sarkar, Margaret De Foe, Rudy Alleyne, Ralph Velasquez, Adam Anton, Jon, and Chris R. Mish for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.