All articles tagged with #suns magnetic field
NASA's Parker Solar Probe captured the first-ever visual footage of the Sun's magnetic switchbacks, revealing the dynamic and previously invisible magnetic behavior of the Sun's outer atmosphere, marking a significant breakthrough in solar physics and space science.
New research reveals that the sun's magnetic field originates much closer to its surface than previously thought, potentially improving forecasts for extreme solar storms. This discovery, made by an international team and published in Nature, could help predict solar flares and coronal mass ejections that impact Earth. The findings suggest the magnetic field is generated 20,000 miles beneath the sun's surface, rather than 130,000 miles as earlier believed. This advancement is crucial for preparing for future solar storms, especially as the sun approaches its peak activity in the current 11-year cycle.
On April 8, a total solar eclipse will offer a magnificent view of the solar corona, with a simulation from Predictive Science showing a dramatic starburst-like pattern and large prominences. The current 11-year solar cycle near its peak makes forecasting the corona more challenging, but scientists anticipate the most dynamic corona possible. Two major sunspot clusters could contort the corona into even more spectacular shapes, and there's a chance of witnessing a dramatic solar phenomenon known as a coronal mass ejection. Predictive Science plans to continuously update its predictions of the corona as more data becomes available leading up to the eclipse.