|
SCIENCE
HIGHLIGHTS FROM NASA'S SUN-EARTH CONNECTION
The
Flare That Got Everyone's Attention
 |
|  |
| Image
1 | | |
In
2003 the Sun produced the most powerful flare ever seen. It was entering the quiet
period of its 11-year cycle of activity, so scientists likened the event to a
blizzard in the middle of summer. Large sunspots in late October/early November
unleashed 11 flares in only 14 days -- equaling the total number observed during
the previous year. The largest was ranked a record-breaking X-28; X-6 flares are
considered large.
Star
of the Show Multi-mission
view of the sun
|
|  |
| Image
2 | | | In
this new view, images from 7 instruments on 3 separate satellites are combined
in one frame. With so many coordinated spacecraft datasets and so many diverse
assignments, this visualization is striking in that it lines up the data to provide
a radical view of one solar event from sunspot to flare to the X-rays pinpointed
on that flare to the CME billowing out into space.
Credit: NASA / ESA
/ LMSAL Full-disk
View
|
|  |
| Image
3 | | | Millions
of miles away, CMEs from the Sun blast billions of tons of plasma into our magnetosphere
with the potential to disturb space systems, power grids and communications.
Credit: NASA / ESA Amazing
Changing Sun
|
|  |
| Image
4 | | | Solar
maximum is the 2-3 year peak period (2000-2001 marked the peak of this cycle)
when activity is most complex and turbulent, and the space around Earth is most
disturbed.
Credit: NASA/ESA Fountains
of Fire
|
|  |
| Image
5 | | | Close-up
images reveal an active surface with coronal loops emerging and disappearing all
over the Sun's surface and can span a length of about 250,000 miles, or about
30 times the diameter of Earth.
Credit: NASA / LMSAL
Sunspots
|
|  |
| Image
6 | | | Sunspots
appear dark because they are cooler than the solar surface and can last for weeks
and can be as large as 80,000 km (over 6 planet Earths).
Credit: NASA
/ ESA How
Do Active Regions Form?
|
|  |
| Image
7 | | | Peering
beneath the surface of AR 9393 revealed regions comprised of many small magnetic
structures that rise quickly from deep within the Sun.
Credit: NASA
Breaking
News What
is the Aurora?
|
|  |
| Image
8 | | | Plasma
from solar storms hit the Earth’s magnetic field, ejecting oxygen ions from
upper atmosphere. The ions flow along Earth's field lines until pressure from
solar wind stretches the field toard the night-side of the Earth like a rubber
band and snaps back.
Credit: NASA Why
Do we See Reds in the Sky?
|
|  |
| Image
9 | | | .Collisions
between fast-moving electrons and the oxygen and nitrogen in Earth’s upper
atmosphere create aurora. The electrons from the magnetosphere transfer energy
to the gases, making them “excited.” As they “calm down” and
return to their normal state, they emit small bursts of energy in the form of
light. Oxygen produces a greenish-yellow or red light; nitrogen generally gives
off a blue light.
Credit: NASA
What Shields
The Earth?
|
|  |
| Image
10 | | | Solar
wind shapes and impacts Earth’s magnetic field. The magnetosphere extends
out about 65,000 km (40,000 miles) on the Sun side, and more than ten times that
distance on the opposite side, well beyond the Moon’s orbit.
Credit: NASA
Storm
of the Solar Cycle (And More!) What
is a CME?
|
|  |
| Image
11 | | | The
largest explosions in the solar system, CMEs launch up to 10 billion tons of ionized
gas into space at speeds of one to two million miles an hour.
Credit:
NASA The
One-Two Punch
|
|  |
| Image
12 | | | On
Oct. 28 spacecraft tracked an X-17.2 sized flare – the second largest ever
observed by SOHO – and arrived early the next day, meaning it was unusually
fast as well. That same day that one arrived, an X-10 flare set off another round
of particles and another fast-moving CME.
Credit: NASA / LMSAL The
Record Breaking Flare The
same spot blasted off one more flare Nov. 4 as the Sun rotated away. This one
was X-28, making it the most powerful X-ray flare ever recorded. Only part of
the associated CME (traveling at 2300 km/second) was directed toward Earth, resulting
in few aurora. Credit:
NASA / E Polar
Sees Aurora Arrival
| | | |
| Image
14 | Click
on each earth image above to view movie. | The
same spot rotated back and hurled a CME into space resulting in aurora as far
south as Florida on Nov. 20. The Polar spacecraft was flying around the South
Pole and saw this aurora australis (also known as the Southern Lights).
Credit: NASA / University of Iowa
IMAGE
Spacecraft Spots Glow
|
|  |
| Image
15 | | | Also
in the South Pole, the IMAGE spacecraft caught these views Nov. 20. This strong
aurora australis reached above the island of Tasmania.
Credit: NASA / UC Berkeley
Back
to Top | 
