All articles tagged with #solar wind
A new study shows that the moon has been absorbing Earth's atmospheric ions for billions of years through Earth's magnetic tail, challenging previous theories and providing insights into planetary atmospheric loss and history, with implications for future lunar and planetary research.
The article discusses whether the anti-tail jet of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, observed to extend towards the Sun, contains streaming gas beyond approximately 5,000 km from the nucleus. If 3I/ATLAS is a natural comet, the jet should be gas-free beyond this distance, consisting mainly of dust particles. The presence or absence of streaming gas at larger scales could help determine whether 3I/ATLAS is a natural comet or a man-made object, with potential observations suggested using various telescopes.
NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft have detected a hot, energetic boundary at the edge of our solar system called the heliopause, where temperatures spike to 30,000-50,000 Kelvin, marking the transition from solar to interstellar space. The findings challenge previous assumptions about the magnetic field and permeability of this boundary, providing new insights into how our solar system interacts with the galaxy.
A potential display of northern lights could be visible on Christmas Eve in northern U.S. states due to increased solar activity, including solar wind and coronal mass ejections, which enhance aurora visibility especially in darker locations.
Unsettled space weather from the sun, including fast solar wind and a possible glancing coronal mass ejection, could lead to visible northern lights during Christmas, especially at high latitudes in North America and Scandinavia, offering a festive celestial display.
The article discusses the likelihood of material shed by the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS reaching Earth, concluding that due to solar wind and radiation pressure, any large particles or objects are unlikely to pose a threat or reach the ground, with the risk of impact being negligible.
The northern lights may be visible tonight in up to 10 U.S. states due to a minor geomagnetic storm caused by incoming solar wind from a coronal hole, with the best viewing times between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST. Viewers are advised to find dark, north-facing locations and use apps for aurora forecasts to maximize their chances of seeing the auroras.
A new study suggests that Earth's magnetic field has been funneling atmospheric particles, including nitrogen and oxygen, onto the Moon's surface for billions of years, contributing to the volatile elements found in lunar soil, challenging previous assumptions about atmospheric loss and transfer mechanisms.
NASA's PUNCH mission, involving four small satellites, has captured unprecedented images of the Sun's corona and solar wind, providing new insights into solar activity and space weather, while also tracking comets invisible to other telescopes.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has created the first detailed 2D maps of the sun's outer atmosphere, revealing how the Alfvén surface, the boundary where solar particles escape as solar wind, changes shape with solar activity, providing insights that could improve space weather prediction and protect Earth's technological systems.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured detailed images of solar material doing a 'U-turn' after eruptions, revealing how the sun recycles its magnetic energy and material, which could improve space weather forecasting.
Scientists have created the first detailed maps of the sun's outer atmosphere boundary, called the Alfvén surface, revealing that it becomes larger, rougher, and more jagged during solar maximum, using data from NASA's Parker Solar Probe and other spacecraft, which helps improve understanding of solar wind and space weather prediction.
Research shows Earth's atmospheric particles have been traveling to the moon for billions of years via magnetic field lines, potentially creating a long-term record of Earth's atmospheric history on the lunar surface and offering resources for future lunar bases.
A solar wind stream and a coronal mass ejection are expected to cause auroras visible in up to 15 U.S. states tonight, with the best viewing times between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. EST, depending on geomagnetic activity, weather, and sky conditions.
Scientists have for the first time detected a zigzag-like 'switchback' phenomenon in Earth's magnetosphere, a plasma structure associated with magnetic reconnection events that can influence space weather and potentially disrupt Earth's technological systems. The discovery was made by NASA's MMS spacecraft near the magnetosheath, providing new insights into how solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field and improving the ability to predict geomagnetic storms.