Planetary statistics and forecasting for solar flares

The possibility of planetary influence on solar activity is a recurring open question in solar physics. In this study, the existence of a relation between the timing of energetic solar flares and the relative motion of the planets is examined. Based on the flare records of the past four decades, remarkable features and a lack of randomness in the data are highlighted, as significant indications in favor of such a relation. The indications are supported further by the predictive power of a preliminary application to forecasting with machine learning methods. These findings seem to justify further investigation of the link between planetary motion and solar flaring. (C) 2021 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.