Why does it take a couple of days to feel the effects of a solar flare, while it only takes 8 minutes for sunlight to reach earth?

Question

What is the process of a solar flare and why does it take so long to feel the effects?

In: Earth Science

Answer 1

A solar flare is *not* light. It is a stream of plasma ejected *at a fraction* of the speed of light.

Therefore, although the sun is only 8 light minutes away, it takes days because the plasma is travelling at sublight speeds, *not* at light speed.