[zeestephen]

Proxima Centauri is 4.25 light years away.

When they say this happened "last March," I assume that means the Earth observation happened last March.

The huge size of this solar flare has added a huge new problem to the conditions that must exist to support life.

If these huge flares are common throughout our galaxy, they would evaporate the atmosphere and liquid water of any nearby planets, and sterilize the planet surface with lethal radiation.

[Candor7]

If these huge flares are common throughout our galaxy, they would evaporate the atmosphere and liquid water of any nearby planets, and sterilize the planet surface with lethal radiation. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Well, did it do so on Proxima Centuri or are the Centaurians simply harnessing the energy of the flares?

Did Proxima Centuri have an atmosphere?

This happened aboy 5 years ago in light speed adjusted time, so when do we send water via cometary rendezvous?

[Telepathic Intruder]

It must have happened at least 4.3 years ago or we wouldn't know about it.

Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf, which tend to be unstable flare stars. It is possible to have stable ones, but most have violent outbursts that would periodically roast any planets in their habitable zones.

Red dwarfs make up about 75% of all stars in the galaxy. Even if only a few percent of them are stable, unlike our nearest friend here, that still means billions of chances for life in our galaxy alone.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

So the pretty picture of the "dust ring" shown in the image from this article was just an echo from the flare.

[PIF]

See Ciixin Liu’s excellent description (including flares) for what life would be like living in the system in his novel “The Three Body Problem”.

[Diogenesis]

Laugh all you want.
When Sol and Earth are long gone in 5 billion years,
Proxima Centauri will still have 1 trillion years left.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*another ping*

[goldendelicious]

Vin Diesel or however you spell it, he could have survived.

[blueunicorn6]

Should we dispatch some fire engines?