On the 6th of September 2017 a colossal blast of energy and radiation was unleashed from the solar atmosphere. It was among the strongest solar flares in modern times, and resulted in space weather impacts on our GPS and communications. However, given the strength of the flare its effect was underwhelming, compared to some previous events, and many large flares have no noticeable effect at all at Earth. So how seriously should we take the threat of space weather? What determines whether or not a flare is ‘geoeffective’? What are the possible impacts of serious geoeffective flares on our modern society, and can we protect ourselves against them?

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About the Speaker
Lyndsay Fletcher obtained her Ph.D. in Solar Physics from the University of Glasgow, and then worked for several years in the Netherlands and California before returning to the University of Glasgow in 2000. She is now Professor of Astrophysics in the School of Physics and Astronomy, working on solar flares and related phenomena. She is Senior Secretary of the Royal Astronomical Society, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She has received a Herald ‘Diversity Hero of the Year’ award for her work on supporting the careers of girls and women in physics.

Doors at 7.15, kickoff at 7.30
This is event is free to attend, although we will be asking for donations at the end of the talk. Participants are under no obligation whatsoever to donate, however please rest assured that the money we collect doesn’t end up in anyone’s pocket – it is used to fund our overhead costs, and travel/accommodation for our speakers who come from further afield.

Accessibility: As per the policy of the Admiral Bar, access to the venue “can only be provided to patrons who are sufficiently mobile and capable of independently evacuating premises, or with the minimum of assistance”. Unfortunately, this leaves the basement inaccessible to most wheelchair users.