Space
Astronomers Discover Key to Sun's Solar Surges with New Telescope
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Jun 04, 2014 07:30 AM EDT
Astronomers are learning a lot more about solar surges, thanks to the 1.6-meter telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). The researchers have analyzed the highest-resolution solar observations ever made, revealing a lot more about our closest star.
Solar activity entails numerous processes. These processes, in particular, have far-reaching effects and can generate "space weather" which can impact Earth's atmosphere. In fact, this weather often consists of bursts of charged particles and high-energy radiation that can interfere with the Earth's magnetic field and can interrupt communications or supercharge the Northern Lights.
In order to learn a bit more about space weather and solar processes, the researchers examined "small-scale" magnetic-flux ropes on the solar surface and the initiation of powerful plasma eruptions in the solar atmosphere. These observations revealed a bit more about the magnetic-flux rope in the sun's surface-granulation pattern, something that was 6,000 miles long, and the interaction between newly emergent and overlying ambient magnetic fields.
A combination of ground- and space-based observations has allowed astronomers to learn a bit more about how the layers of the solar atmosphere are linked, from the surface to the outermost layer, known as the corona. This has allowed scientists to learn a bit more about solar activity and the mechanisms that drive it.
In fact, a series of images during the course of this work has recorded the evolution of the solar surface and atmosphere at 15-second intervals with a spatial resolution of about 40 miles per pixel. In the end, the researchers found that the solar surges can be triggered by buoyant magnetic-flux ropes that emerge briefly on the surface and then interact with ambient magnetic fields.
The findings reveal a bit more about the complex action of small-scale and "hidden" fields on the sun. This, in particular, is crucial for understanding how energy is transported to the solar atmosphere, which may tell a little bit more about the solar wind and space weather.
The findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal.
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NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
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First Posted: Jun 04, 2014 07:30 AM EDT
Astronomers are learning a lot more about solar surges, thanks to the 1.6-meter telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). The researchers have analyzed the highest-resolution solar observations ever made, revealing a lot more about our closest star.
Solar activity entails numerous processes. These processes, in particular, have far-reaching effects and can generate "space weather" which can impact Earth's atmosphere. In fact, this weather often consists of bursts of charged particles and high-energy radiation that can interfere with the Earth's magnetic field and can interrupt communications or supercharge the Northern Lights.
In order to learn a bit more about space weather and solar processes, the researchers examined "small-scale" magnetic-flux ropes on the solar surface and the initiation of powerful plasma eruptions in the solar atmosphere. These observations revealed a bit more about the magnetic-flux rope in the sun's surface-granulation pattern, something that was 6,000 miles long, and the interaction between newly emergent and overlying ambient magnetic fields.
A combination of ground- and space-based observations has allowed astronomers to learn a bit more about how the layers of the solar atmosphere are linked, from the surface to the outermost layer, known as the corona. This has allowed scientists to learn a bit more about solar activity and the mechanisms that drive it.
In fact, a series of images during the course of this work has recorded the evolution of the solar surface and atmosphere at 15-second intervals with a spatial resolution of about 40 miles per pixel. In the end, the researchers found that the solar surges can be triggered by buoyant magnetic-flux ropes that emerge briefly on the surface and then interact with ambient magnetic fields.
The findings reveal a bit more about the complex action of small-scale and "hidden" fields on the sun. This, in particular, is crucial for understanding how energy is transported to the solar atmosphere, which may tell a little bit more about the solar wind and space weather.
The findings are published in The Astrophysical Journal.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone