All articles tagged with #solar flares
A record-breaking study revealed that the giant sunspot AR 13664, which grew to 15 times Earth's width, produced nearly 1,000 solar flares, including powerful X-class flares, and triggered Earth's most intense geomagnetic storm in over 20 years, highlighting the sun's immense power during solar maximum.
Scientists used the Solar Orbiter to observe the active solar region NOAA 13664 for 94 days, the longest ever recorded, which helped link a major geomagnetic storm in May 2024 to solar activity, providing new insights into solar behavior and its impact on Earth.
Airbus recalled thousands of A320 aircraft due to potential data corruption caused by intense solar radiation, which could affect flight control systems, following an incident where a plane experienced a sudden altitude drop. The issue is linked to solar flares and sunspot activity, prompting software updates and raising concerns about space weather impacts on aviation safety.
The sun has emitted multiple powerful X-class solar flares, including an X5.1, causing coronal mass ejections that are heading toward Earth, potentially triggering geomagnetic storms and visible auroras across parts of the US and Europe from Nov. 10 to Nov. 12.
Astronomers are monitoring a large sunspot cluster, Region 4274, which has produced multiple powerful solar flares, including X-class events, potentially impacting Earth's communications and power systems as the sun approaches its active peak in its 11-year cycle.
The sun emitted two powerful X-class solar flares on Nov. 4, causing radio blackouts across the Americas and Pacific, with potential for geomagnetic storms and vibrant auroras later this week, as solar activity remains high and future eruptions are possible.
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.
Scientists at the University of Hawai‘i have discovered that changing elemental composition in the Sun's corona drives the phenomenon of solar rain, resolving long-standing questions about how plasma cools and condenses rapidly during solar flares, which could improve space weather predictions.
New research reveals that solar flare particles can reach temperatures of over 108 million degrees Fahrenheit, six times hotter than previously thought, which could lead to improved space weather prediction models and a better understanding of solar phenomena.
New research suggests that ions in solar flares may reach temperatures up to 60 million Kelvin, far hotter than previously thought, due to more effective heating mechanisms that favor ions over electrons, potentially altering our understanding of solar flare dynamics.
Recent research suggests that solar flares are much hotter than previously thought, potentially reaching temperatures of 180 million degrees Fahrenheit due to ions heating up more than electrons, which could improve understanding and protection against solar eruptions.
A new study reveals that during solar flares, ions are significantly hotter than electrons—about 6.5 times hotter—explaining long-standing spectral line broadening mysteries and impacting space weather understanding. This insight suggests that ions' higher temperatures, especially during the flare's early stages, play a crucial role in flare dynamics and observations.
New research suggests that particles in solar flares are 6.5 times hotter than previously believed, with ions reaching over 60 million degrees, potentially solving a long-standing mystery about flare spectral line widths and indicating a paradigm shift in understanding solar flare heating mechanisms.
Scientists using the Solar Orbiter have traced high-speed electrons back to the sun, discovering they originate from two types of solar outbursts: small-scale solar flares and larger coronal mass ejections, which has implications for understanding space weather and protecting spacecraft.
The Solar Orbiter mission has identified two distinct sources of energetic electrons from the Sun—solar flares and coronal mass ejections—by observing over 300 events, which enhances understanding of space weather and helps improve forecasting to protect spacecraft and astronauts.