Recent research from the University of St Andrews has revealed that solar flares can reach temperatures over 180 million degrees Fahrenheit, significantly higher than previously believed.

Physicist James Drake comments that this analysis reveals previous electron-focused measurements missed significant aspects of solar flare physics.

Understanding the true temperature and behavior of solar flares is crucial for protecting satellites, spacecraft, and astronauts from radiation, as well as for improving communication systems.

The research team is now developing models to better understand how these hotter ions influence solar flare dynamics, aiming to enhance predictive capabilities and safety measures.

This new data indicates that ions within solar flares can heat to over 60 million degrees, which is more than six times hotter than earlier estimates, helping to solve a long-standing astrophysical mystery.

The study also shows a notable temperature difference between electrons and ions during solar flares, lasting several minutes and challenging previous assumptions that both particles share the same temperature.

Alexander Russell from the University of St. Andrews states that the ion temperature aligns with spectral line widths, potentially resolving a half-century-old mystery in astrophysics.

Published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters on September 3, the findings suggest a 'paradigm shift' in understanding solar flare spectral lines, which could explain their broader-than-expected spectral lines since the 1970s.