All articles tagged with #solar atmosphere
The article discusses mysterious missing colors in the Sun's spectrum, highlighting the complexity of solar spectroscopy, the known and unknown absorption lines, and the ongoing efforts to understand the Sun's atmospheric composition despite existing challenges and incomplete data.
Scientists have long struggled to explain the rapid formation of 'solar rain'—cool, dense plasma blobs that fall during solar flares. Recent research shows that allowing elemental abundances, especially low FIP elements like iron, to vary in models explains the quick cooling and condensation observed. This new understanding improves the accuracy of solar models, helping to better interpret solar activity and predict space weather effects.
NASA released the closest-ever images of the sun's atmosphere, providing stunning views that could help scientists learn more about the sun's behavior and properties.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has matched its own speed record, reaching nearly 400,000 mph during its 20th close solar approach. The spacecraft, designed to study the sun's outer atmosphere, will eventually reach speeds of 430,000 mph, breaking multiple records and providing valuable data on solar phenomena that can impact Earth.
Close-up images captured by the Solar Orbiter during its perihelion passage in October 2022 have revealed how small, fleeting magnetic fields on the Sun's surface contribute to the formation of the solar corona. These images show that loops of million-degree gas in the corona are associated with small patches of magnetic fields on the surface. The observations provide valuable insights into the role of small-scale magnetic fields in the development of the Sun's hot atmosphere. Solar Orbiter is set to make another close pass of the Sun in October 2023, allowing for further detailed observations of these processes.
Scientists have discovered that weak but steady waves, known as low amplitude decayless kink oscillations, may explain the extreme heat in the sun's outer atmosphere, or corona. These waves, which do not decay in strength over multiple cycles, vibrate in the same direction and are likely associated with long-duration flows on the solar surface. The findings suggest that energy from the sun's surface can reach the corona and heat it, providing important insights into the long-standing question of what heats the sun's outer atmosphere.