Articles tagged with Solar Flares
A NASA research model revealed that a coronal mass ejection (CME) left the sun at speeds of around 900 miles per second, causing mild to moderate effects on Earth. The CME may also pass by the Spitzer and Messenger spacecraft, with only minor particle radiation associated.
Two CMEs were emitted by the sun on March 12-13, 2013, traveling at speeds of around 400 miles per second. These events are expected to have a minimal impact on Earth, with no particle radiation and limited geomagnetic storm effects.
On July 19, 2012, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) detected a rare event: coronal rain. This phenomenon occurs when hot plasma in the sun's corona cools and condenses along strong magnetic fields. The SDO's footage shows the plasma as it slowly falls back to the solar surface, outlining the magnetic fields.
NASA's research models show that the CMEs left the sun at speeds of 275 miles per second, causing geomagnetic storms when they connect with the Earth's magnetic envelope. The recent flares caused weak radio blackouts, but their effects have already subsided.
On Nov. 20, 2012, a coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed by NASA spacecraft, with speeds of 450 miles per second, a slow to average speed for CMEs. The event had significant space weather implications and was closely monitored by NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
A mid-level solar flare, classified as M6, was observed by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on November 13, 2012. The flare caused a moderate radio blackout affecting GPS and communications signals for several minutes to hours.
A significant solar flare occurred on Oct. 22, 2012, peaking at an X1.8-class intensity, impacting radio communications for about an hour. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association categorized the radio blackout as R3 on a scale from R1 to R5.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) was released by the sun on October 4, 2012, traveling at approximately 400 miles per second. The CME may affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth, although major effects have not been observed in the past.
Scientists at Caltech have successfully recreated plasma loops, which could help predict solar flares. By studying the magnetic forces controlling these loops, researchers aim to develop a two-day warning period for massive solar flares.
Researchers have discovered a new method to predict solar flares by measuring gamma radiation emitted when atoms decay. The system could provide up to 2-day advance warning, allowing operators to minimize impact and astronauts to shield themselves from lethal radiation.
A mid-level solar flare, classified as M7.7, was detected by NASA on July 19, 2012, causing brief radio communications blackouts at the poles. Increased numbers of flares are expected during the sun's peak activity cycle, which is approaching its maximum in 2013.
A team of researchers, including a Rice astrophysicist, used Doppler measurements to observe loops of plasma flowing up from the sun's surface at high speeds. These findings may help predict solar flares and coronal mass ejections that threaten satellites and power grids.
Fermi detects the highest-energy gamma rays ever associated with a solar flare, surpassing visible light by two billion times. The discovery showcases Fermi's capabilities as a solar observatory, providing insights into solar outbursts and charged particles acceleration.
The RHESSI satellite will utilize the June 5-6, 2012 Venus transit to improve its measurements of the sun's diameter. By analyzing the sharpness of the Venus disk as it crosses the sun, scientists can calibrate their instrument and refine their observations of the sun's horizon.
The University of New Hampshire is poised to analyze a unique dataset from the PAMELA European satellite, which recorded a moderate solar flare and produced a ground-level enhancement (GLE). This rare event has puzzled scientists, but the PAMELA data will provide fresh insights into the evolution of high-energy particles.
NASA's models predict two CMEs will impact Earth and Mars, causing severe geomagnetic storms and aurora at low latitudes. The flares, part of the sun's normal 11-year solar cycle, were triggered by an active region named AR 1429.
Despite predictions of a giant solar flare, NASA confirms it's physically impossible to destroy Earth. In fact, scientists have studied the sun's activity for millennia with no harm.
New data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows that radiation from some solar flares can continue for up to five hours beyond the initial minutes. The total energy from this extended phase sometimes has more energy than the initial event, increasing our understanding of flare physics and its impact on Earth's atmosphere.
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new method to detect sunspots forming deep inside the sun, allowing for up to two days' warning before solar storms. The method uses acoustic waves generated by turbulent plasma and gases, and has been successfully tested four times.
X-class flares are the largest explosions in the solar system, producing as much energy as a billion hydrogen bombs. These powerful events can cause long-lasting radiation storms that harm satellites, communications systems, and ground-based technologies.
A medium-sized solar flare, S1-class radiation storm, and spectacular coronal mass ejection were observed on June 7, 2011. The event was recorded by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, showing a large eruption of cool gas with temperatures less than 80,000 K.
Solar activity has increased significantly after a three-year period of minimal sunspot activity, signaling the start of Solar Cycle 24. The longest recorded period of inactivity began in 2008 and lasted until this year.
The new facility will help scientists better understand solar flares, which affect technologies like GPS systems and power grids. The expanded array will increase the number of available radio frequencies, allowing researchers to decode flare spectra and make new discoveries.
The CU-Boulder Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) will measure rapid fluctuations in the sun's extreme ultraviolet output, affecting Earth's upper atmosphere and technology. Scientists hope to use this research to make better space weather predictions, predicting communications and navigation outages.
Researchers detected a stream of perfectly intact hydrogen atoms shooting out of an X-class solar flare, surprising scientists. The discovery suggests that all strong flares might emit hydrogen bursts, which could be detected using the NASA's STEREO spacecraft.
The NASA SORCE mission is tracking regional variations in the sun's warming impact on Earth, with possible implications for global climate patterns. The study found that while the sun's brightness affects Earth's temperature modestly, regional temperature changes can vary by a factor of eight.
A solar flare can cause GPS signal degradation, affecting navigation systems like those used in planes and cars. Researchers discovered this effect when a graduate student accidentally detected the impact on a receiver at Arecibo Observatory.
A massive solar flare on January 20, 2024, produced the largest solar radiation signal in nearly 50 years, tripping radiation monitors worldwide and scrambling spacecraft detectors. The event challenged traditional theories about proton storms at Earth, suggesting that protons may have originated from the sun itself.
Astronomers using the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton telescope discovered that Jupiter's x-ray glow is due to x-rays from the Sun being reflected back off the planet's atmosphere. The discovery synchronises Jupiter's day-to-day disk x-rays with the Sun's emissions, providing new insights into solar activity.
A massive solar flare of X45 was detected on November 4, 2003, exceeding previous largest flares by a factor of two. The team used radio wave-based measurements to revise the flare's size, finding it equivalent to 5,000 Suns in x-ray radiation.
RHESSI observations show that microflares, tiny explosive events on the sun, provide a significant portion of heat in the corona. The satellite's findings suggest that microflares could be key to understanding solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which affect Earth's space weather.
Scientists from Japan, US, and UK collaborate to build instruments for Solar-B, a satellite studying the Sun's magnetic field and its impact on Earth's climate. The mission aims to understand how magnetic fields interact with the Sun's atmosphere and release energy in solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center presented new findings on lower dust absorption of sunlight, Arctic stratospheric temperature control and the impact of a large solar proton event on the atmosphere. The studies aim to improve climate modeling and understanding of climate change.
Researchers observed a bright X-ray flare from a brown dwarf, LP 944-20, which lasted nearly two hours and had an energy comparable to small solar flares. The flare's origin is believed to be in twisted magnetic fields beneath the surface of the brown dwarf, providing strong hints about the existence of turbulent magnetized hot material.
Researchers have directly observed magnetic field line shrinkage or reconnection outflow during solar flares, resolving a long-standing mystery. The discovery sheds light on the behavior of magnetic fields in solar flares and their impact on space weather.
Astronomers have directly detected a new type of stellar flare on the binary system HR 1099, challenging current models and providing insight into flare physics. The flares were observed in a narrow temperature range of gas on the star, distinct from the hot gas that emits X-rays.
The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft has captured the chemical composition of asteroid Eros, indicating it is a primitive relic from the solar system's emergence from a cloud of gas and dust. The data suggest that Eros has remained largely unchanged since its initial formation.
Scientists have discovered a new mechanism for coronal mass ejections, which are large-scale eruptions on the Sun that can cause geomagnetic storms and disrupt power generation. Shock waves generated by solar flares in other regions of the sun can cause these eruptions, contrary to previous thought.
Researchers have detected significant speed-ups and slow-downs in the rotation rate of gases at the inner edge of a spherical shell known as the convection zone. The discovery is believed to shed light on the physical dynamics of the 11-year solar cycle that affects Earth.
Scientists have developed a new imaging technique using ripples on the sun's surface to probe its interior and locate hidden solar storms. This breakthrough enables forecasting of solar storms with a week's warning, potentially disrupting spacecraft and power systems.
Astronomers believe that megaflares produced by tangled magnetic fields on a star and its planet might help identify distant Sun-like stars with planetary systems. This phenomenon could provide energy for the development of life on rocky planets, making it a promising area to search for extraterrestrial life.
A new study reveals that the detailed spectral behavior of solar flares falls into just two categories, suggesting a common mechanism for particle acceleration. The finding could provide insight into how particles are accelerated to high energies in solar flares.
Researchers believe that microflares, miniature solar flares, are the key to heating the sun's corona. These events release as much energy as 10 million H-bombs and are found near magnetic islands and extended loops. The study suggests that cooler microflares drive the heating in these areas.
JASMIN will measure magnetic field direction and strength from space, resolving details of the Sun's magnetism nearly 20 times better than ground-based telescopes. The instrument aims to unravel mysteries of the Sun's corona heating, heat waves and solar flares, with potential implications for Earth's climate.
Scientists plan to use stereo imaging to analyze the three-dimensional structures of the Sun's corona, which can help predict explosive events like coronal mass ejections and solar flares.
A solar flare on July 9, 1996, generated a massive seismic wave that resembles those created by terrestrial earthquakes. The seismic wave contained about 40,000 times the energy released in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
Scientists predict that the new sunspot cycle will rise faster than normal, reaching its peak in late 1999 or early 2000. The cycle is expected to continue until 2006, when the next cycle begins. This may lead to increased solar activity, potentially affecting satellite communications and Earth's outer atmosphere.
Researchers John H. Thomas and Benjamin Montesinos present a more realistic version of the siphon-flow model, predicting how gas flows from sunspots into the solar atmosphere. Their results match observations in considerable detail, shedding light on astrophysical processes involving strong magnetic fields and jets of gas.
Researchers used SOHO spacecraft to track solar dynamo's position and conditions. They found turbulence and shear flows indicative of dynamo presence at a layer 38,000 miles thick.
Researchers create first detailed map of convection zone, revealing temperature patterns and flow beneath the surface. The map shows no evidence of giant convection cells as predicted, but reveals narrow plumes of cooler gases streaming downward toward the boundary with the radiative layer.