Ahh, the Solar Prominence. These amazing expulsions of stellar matter have been captured often by our Sun-orbiting satellites. This one is an exceptionally large one. According to the good folks at Astronomy Picture Of The Day, this prominence is so large that the Earth could easily fit underneath the arc of matter being expelled! Amazing!
LARGE SOLAR PROMINENCE
Showing posts with label Sol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sol. Show all posts
Mar 11, 2011
Dec 15, 2010
-FUPPETS- Loves Solar Prominences
-FUPPETS- cannot get enough astronomy. There is an infinity of discoveries to be made. Check out this great short video of a large solar prominence captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
SOLAR PROMINENCE
Here is APOD's description of the video.
SOLAR PROMINENCE
Here is APOD's description of the video.
"...an unusually long filament explode out from the Sun. The filament had been seen hovering over the Sun's surface for over a week before it erupted earlier this month. The image sequence was taken by the Earth-orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) in a color of ultraviolet light specifically emitted by helium. The explosion created Coronal Mass Ejections which dispersed high energy plasma into the Solar System. This plasma cloud, though, missed the Earth and so did not cause auroras."
Apr 23, 2010
-FUPPETS- Loves Solar Prominences!!!
The movie below is from the newly launched SOLAR DYNAMICS OBSERVATORY. This new telescope will send back 1.5 terabytes of data a day! Solar prominences are the result of the Sun's intense magnetic field ejecting matter as the field twists and warps itself, due to the liquidity of the matter that makes up the Sun.
Soon after the instruments opened their doors, the Sun began performing for SDO with this beautiful prominence eruption. This AIA data is from March 30, 2010, showing a wavelength band that is centered around 304 �. This extreme ultraviolet emission line is from singly ionized Helium, or He II, and corresponds to a temperature of approx. 50,000 degrees Celsius.
Oct 20, 2009
Solar Prominence Eruption Captured on Video
Solar Prominences are amazing ejections of solar matter caused by the ever-changing magnetic field of the Sun. These events launch millions of tons of material away from the sun, and can sometimes result in very damaging electrical storms once the ejecta makes it's way to the Earth and collide with the earth's own magnetic field.
The twin STEREO spacecraft have captured one such ejection. The STEREO spacecraft are two separate but identical satellites which are positioned one WAY in front and one WAY behind the Earth as it orbits around the Sun, so, in essence, they follow the same orbit path as us. By positioning these instruments there, it is possible to capture a stereoscopic vision of solar prominences and ejecta, as well as any other solar events that may occur. Enjoy the short clip below.
The twin STEREO spacecraft have captured one such ejection. The STEREO spacecraft are two separate but identical satellites which are positioned one WAY in front and one WAY behind the Earth as it orbits around the Sun, so, in essence, they follow the same orbit path as us. By positioning these instruments there, it is possible to capture a stereoscopic vision of solar prominences and ejecta, as well as any other solar events that may occur. Enjoy the short clip below.
Sep 3, 2009
-FUPPETS- Loves Solar Storms
Our star, Sol, is in constant flux. It is a churning, seething gaseous body whose "atmosphere" reaches way past the orbit of Mars. The Earth lies in the upper reaches of Sol's atmosphere. Because of this, we are easily affected by solar storms.
In recent times, the worst solar storm on record occurred on September 2nd, 1859. On that day, auroras were seen as far south as Havana, Cuba, and the ambient electrical current in the atmosphere was enough to actually run telegraph wires without any human-provided electricity!
Amazing stuff! In 1859, the telegraph and electrical lines were all that could be affected by such a giant solar storm, but in 2009, if such an event were to happen again, it is estimated that the damage caused to the electrical grid on Earth, and nearly every electrical device, would total upwards of ONE TRILLION dollars. That is a ridiculous figure.
Scientists have gathered data from ice cores, which trap nitrites created when these geomagnetic storms send charged particles which hit our nitrogen-rich atmosphere, and found that in the 500 years past for which we have data, the 1859 event was twice as powerful as any other.
The wonderful thing about solar storms is that they are so beautiful.
In recent times, the worst solar storm on record occurred on September 2nd, 1859. On that day, auroras were seen as far south as Havana, Cuba, and the ambient electrical current in the atmosphere was enough to actually run telegraph wires without any human-provided electricity!
“We observed the influence upon the lines at the time of commencing business — 8 o’clock — and it continued so strong up to 9 1/2 as to prevent any business from being done, excepting by throwing off the batteries at each end of the line and working by the atmospheric current entirely!” the astonished telegraph operators of Boston wrote in a statement that appeared in The New York Times later that week.
The Boston operator told his Portland, Maine counterpart, “Mine is also disconnected, and we are working with the auroral current. How do you receive my writing?” Portland responded, “Better than with our batteries on,” before finally concluding with Yankee pluck, “Very well. Shall I go ahead with business?” - ( Wired )
Amazing stuff! In 1859, the telegraph and electrical lines were all that could be affected by such a giant solar storm, but in 2009, if such an event were to happen again, it is estimated that the damage caused to the electrical grid on Earth, and nearly every electrical device, would total upwards of ONE TRILLION dollars. That is a ridiculous figure.
Scientists have gathered data from ice cores, which trap nitrites created when these geomagnetic storms send charged particles which hit our nitrogen-rich atmosphere, and found that in the 500 years past for which we have data, the 1859 event was twice as powerful as any other.
The wonderful thing about solar storms is that they are so beautiful.
Sep 25, 2008
MAGNETARS - The Universe Gets Weirder Still...
Using our knowledge of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics, it is fairly straight-forward to map the course of a star's life. One of the main factors in which life-path a star will take is the original size, the original mass actually, of the star.
A star such as our Sol (the name of the star our planet Earth orbits around) has a very predictable life-cycle. Eventually, our Sol will burn up most of it's internal nuclear fuel of hydrogen and helium, and it will cool and swell up to what is referred to as a Red Giant. The outer "shell of the Sun's atmosphere would stretch from where it is now to somewhere between the orbit of the Earth and Mars, swallowing up Venus, Mercury, and our planet. As Red Giants age they slough off the outer layers of their atmosphere creating beautiful planetary nebula.
A star such as our Sol (the name of the star our planet Earth orbits around) has a very predictable life-cycle. Eventually, our Sol will burn up most of it's internal nuclear fuel of hydrogen and helium, and it will cool and swell up to what is referred to as a Red Giant. The outer "shell of the Sun's atmosphere would stretch from where it is now to somewhere between the orbit of the Earth and Mars, swallowing up Venus, Mercury, and our planet. As Red Giants age they slough off the outer layers of their atmosphere creating beautiful planetary nebula.
The "Hourglass Nebula" below is an example.
When a star has an initial mass of between 8 and 15 times the mass of our Sol, it experiences a different end. Once the original nuclear fuel is exhausted, the outer mass of the star is no longer "supported" by an out rush of energy, and these layers collapse into the core, creating a massive Supernova, which can release more energy in one second than an entire galaxy does in a week. This strips the atoms at the core of the star of all their electrons, and turns the protons into neutrons. These neutrons are jammed together so tightly, because the repulsive force of the electrons' negative charges are no longer keeping them separate, that the mass of two of our Sols would fit into a sphere twenty kilometers in diameter! THINK ABOUT IT! It is insane.
To get an idea of the distances involved between an atoms nucleus of protons and neutrons and it's outer shell of electrons, imagine this. Picture the atom's nucleus the size of an average coin. Now go place a grain of sand 200 feet away. Atoms, like our solar system, are mostly empty space. So now you know what a neutron star is. Well, there are odd variations and scientists have found signs of what is termed a MAGNETAR. Here is an explanation from ScienceDaily.
These magnetars can stay quiet for millenia, and then have very brief periods of hyperactivity. It is nearly unfathomable to think of a magnetic field a Billion BILLION times stronger than that of Earth, with it's liquid Iron core.
Now that's just INSANE! -FUPPETS- loves the science. Here is an artist's rendering of a Magnetar and it's magnetic field.
Magnetars are young neutron stars with an ultra-strong magnetic field a billion billion times stronger than that of the Earth. The twisting of magnetic field lines in magnetars give rise to 'starquakes', which will eventually lead to an intense soft gamma-ray burst. In the case of the SWIFT source, the optical flares that reached the Earth were probably due to ions ripped out from the surface of the magnetar and gyrating around the field lines.
These magnetars can stay quiet for millenia, and then have very brief periods of hyperactivity. It is nearly unfathomable to think of a magnetic field a Billion BILLION times stronger than that of Earth, with it's liquid Iron core.
The energy release during one flare in the course of a period of activity can
amount to the energy released by the Sun in 10 000 years.
Now that's just INSANE! -FUPPETS- loves the science. Here is an artist's rendering of a Magnetar and it's magnetic field.
Sep 24, 2008
The Sun Is Quiet These Days My Friends
(click image to enlarge) The Sun is at it's Solar Minimum. The Sun cycles through periods of high activity in which large solar storms appear, many sunspots are visible, and electromagnetic phenomena occur. We are at the opposite of that now, with the Sun acting very very quietly, in fact, quieter than at any time in recorded science, which, for solar astronomy, is just a half a century. News reports like to keep everyone scared shitless so as to stay better sheep and consumers, so they couch this info in fear-mongering terms, instead of just explaining that the Sun cycles, and now it is in a low-activity period of it's Solar Cycle.
-FUPPETS-
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