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☆ Scientists a step closer to unraveling mystery of sun’s magnetic field
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In contrast to previous research that assumed the sun’s magnetic field originates from deep within the celestial body, they suspect the the source is much closer to the surface. This view of the sun's magnetic field was generated by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. NASA/GSFC/Solar Dynamics ObservaModeling the sun’s magnetic fieldIt’s difficult to see the sun’s magnetic field lines, which loop through the solar atmosphere to form a complicated web of magnetic structures far more complex than Earth’s magnetic field. To better grasp how the sun’s magnetic field works, scientists turn to mathematical models. Like the 11-year solar magnetic cycle, torsional oscillations also experience an 11-year cycle.

Persons: Galileo, ”, Daniel Lecoanet, ” Lecoanet, “, Lecoanet, Geoff Vasil, Ellen Zweibel, Zweibel Organizations: CNN, Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering, Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration, Research, Astrophysics, NASA's Solar Dynamics, NASA, Dynamics, University of Edinburgh, University of Wisconsin Locations: United Kingdom, Madison

☆ NASA video shows the sun just blasted out 4 eruptions at the same time. The rare event may have sent plasma hurtling toward Earth.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Four solar flares appeared to erupt on the sun at the same time on Monday night. NASA video shows the simultaneous eruptions sent rapid bursts of bright light from the sun's surface. There is no threat to Earth, but solar flares have the potential to cause geomagnetic storms. Video footage from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows that, around 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday evening, four solar flares erupted at once across the visible surface of the sun. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: NASA, Service, Solar Dynamics Observatory, Business

Forecasting solar storms is especially difficult right now, even as the sun is getting more active. CMEs fling charged, super-hot plasma into space, and sometimes — like in the case of this CME — that plasma strikes Earth. On the bright side, these solar storms also make stunning displays of the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, visible in the middle of the US. On a different day, all of these effects combined could have created a very violent solar storm. In the worst-case scenario, which is very rare, all the conditions align to send a very fast and very powerful solar storm to Earth.

Persons: oozing, Keith Strong, Lockheed Martin, Dean Pesnell, Rune Stoltz Bertinussen, Matt Owens, Bryan Brasher, Daniel Verscharen, Owens Organizations: Service, Lockheed, NASA, Dynamics, Prediction, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Reuters, CME, University of Reading, University College London, NASA Solar Dynamics Locations: Wall, Silicon, Tromso, Norway, Montana , Missouri, Virginia

☆ A giant eruption from the sun could bring the Northern Lights as far south as New York, Chicago, and Portland overnight Monday and early Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The reason for this brilliant display is the sun, which shot a giant eruption of charged particles toward Earth on Sunday. The colorful Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, appear when electrically charged particles from the sun interact with molecules in Earth's atmosphere. Northern Lights may appear unusually far southTypically these dazzling green, red, pink, and purple lights only appear around the Arctic Circle, or around the South Pole (there it's called the aurora australis). That's because our planet's magnetic field lines channel the steady stream of particles, called the "solar wind," to the poles. AdvertisementAdvertisementWhere the aurora might appear tonightThe below map of the Space Weather Prediction Center's aurora forecast shows where late-night or early-morning sky watchers might be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights.

Persons: Dean Pesnell, Keith Strong, Lockheed Martin, Mike Hapgood, there's Organizations: Service, NASA, Dynamics, Lockheed, NOAA, Prediction Center, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Administration Locations: Wall, Silicon, New York , Illinois, Oregon

☆ The sun’s activity is peaking sooner than expected
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Every 11 years or so, the sun experiences periods of low and high solar activity, which is associated with the amount of sunspots on its surface. Over the course of a solar cycle, the sun will transition from a calm to an intense and active period. During the peak of activity, called solar maximum, the sun’s magnetic poles flip. A solar activity spikeThe current solar cycle, known as Solar Cycle 25, has been full of activity, more so than expected. The solar storms generated by the sun can affect electric power grids, GPS and aviation, and satellites in low-Earth orbit.

Persons: ”, Mark Miesch, “, Alex Young, ” Miesch, Scott McIntosh, Robert Leamon, Leamon, Miesch, Young, auroras, Bill Murtagh, ” Murtagh, NASA’s Parker, “ We’ve Organizations: CNN, National Oceanic, Prediction, NASA's Solar Dynamics, NASA, SpaceX, Heliophysics, Goddard Space Flight, GPS, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Goddard Planetary Heliophysics, University of Maryland, College Park, American University, Dynamics, Geological Survey, Probe Locations: Boulder , Colorado, Greenbelt , Maryland, Baltimore County, New Mexico , Missouri, North Carolina, California, United States, England, United Kingdom, Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Scandinavia, Michigan, Upper Midwest, Pacific, Quebec

☆ The sun's activity could peak 2 years early, frying satellites and causing radio blackouts by the end of this year, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jessica Orwig | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The sun is becoming more active and may reach peak activity sooner than expected. We're currently approaching solar maximum, when the sun reaches peak activity, which experts have previously predicted should happen in 2025. NASAFor example, already this year a powerful solar flare caused widespread radio blackouts that disrupted high-frequency radio signals in North America, Central America, and South America. In the past, powerful solar storms have surged the Quebec power grid, causing blackouts that lasted up to eight hours. Why experts think solar maximum will hit soonWhen the sun's magnetic field is weak, its surface gets a lot more interesting to look at.

Persons: —, We're, Alex James, that's, NASA Goddard, Joy Ng Organizations: Service, University of College London, NASA, YouTube, Dynamics, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, CME Locations: North America, Central America, South America, Quebec, Arizona

☆ NASA footage reveals 4 types of solar eruptions and 'holes' that could affect Earth as the sun grows more active
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The sun is slamming Earth with solar flares and high-speed eruptions of plasma. Solar flares can have the power of 1 billion hydrogen bombsA solar flare erupts — the bright flash on the bottom right of the sun — on March 28, 2023. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the upper right – on March 3, 2023. CMEs are common culprits of solar storms on Earth, since they can send a powerful flood of solar particles washing over the planet. Coronal holes open a highway for solar windA video from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the massive hole in the sun's atmosphere.

☆ Dramatic image shows a 'plasma waterfall' on the sun that's 8 times the size of Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

This is the latest in a string of stunning solar events as our sun nears a peak of activity. The solar plasma 'waterfall' is shown here on the southern hemisphere of the sun on March 9, 2023. About every decade, the sun's magnetic poles flip, which causes havoc with local magnetic fields that are bursting all over our star. NASA Solar Dynamics ObservatoryA massive coronal "hole" in our sun that spewed energy towards the Earth in recent weeks. NASA / Solar Dynamics ObservatorySpace weather is not just prettyScientists don't only look to the sun to see these beautiful structures.

☆ A powerful 'X-class' solar flare just hit Earth. Forecasters are bracing for more sun activity in the coming days.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The sun blasted Earth with a powerful X-class solar flare on Tuesday, causing radio blackouts. Three more moderate solar flares followed, and we could see more eruptions in the coming days. This may be a precursor to even more solar activity in the coming days. NASA/SDOThat report forecast a chance of more M-class flares in the coming days, with a "slight chance" of another X-class flare on Thursday. More often, though, solar activity triggers energetic displays of Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, sometimes pushing them further south than their normal Arctic occurrence.

☆ Giant 'holes' dozens of times the size of our planet are appearing on the sun. Here's how they could affect Earth.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Two huge coronal holes, dozen of times the size of the Earth, have appeared on the sun. These coronal holes can spew solar winds at 1.8 million mph toward our planet, which can cause stunning auroras and disrupt satellites. Coronal holes aren't actually holes in the sunA coronal hole rotates across the face of the sun, streaming solar wind towards Earth, February 1, 2017. Coronal holes happen in the "corona," the atmosphere of the sun, and can only be seen in UV or X-ray light. We could see this month's coronal holes again next monthThe coronal hole came into view as the sun rotated.

That caused the Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, to make a rare appearance in skies across the US. The colorful lights were seen as far south as Arizona, much further than what was forecast. They normally occur in the Arctic, but powerful eruptions on the sun caused them to stretch as far south as Phoenix, Arizona before sunrise on Friday, according to images shared by photographers and skywatchers on social media. "Most people when they're seeing that far south... they're seeing it on the horizon," Young said. NWS La CrosseAnchorage, AlaskaAuroras in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 24, 2023.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a video of a tornado churning on the sun. The fiery formation of boiling solar plasma grew to an estimated height of 14 Earths. SDO/NASAThe magnetic structure that caused this tornado is actually a lot bigger than what we're seeing. As these move around the sun, they create magnetic fields that erupt through the solar surface. The sun is getting more activeA video from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the massive hole in the sun's atmosphere.

☆ The US is bleeding tech workers to other countries — it needs to move fast or risk falling behind.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The US is losing tech workers to other countries. And so, many tech workers are opting to move and work there instead of the US. Plus, many of these countries are making their immigration systems easier for tech workers. My teammates Emilia David and Paayal Zaveri break down how the US is on the brink of losing an entire generation of tech workers. And it showed that Boomers and Gen Z both love many of the same cars, including the Toyota RAV4.

☆ The sun is getting more active than it has for a decade — and it could lead to power outages, grounded flights, and stunning auroras
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

That motion, called convection, is what creates strong magnetic fields at the poles and smaller, local magnetic fields at the surface of the sun. That instability causes havoc in the magnetic fields at the surface of the sun, which become much more active. NASA/Solar Dynamics ObservatoryAs the magnetic fields become more confused, bigger sun spots can appear on the surface of the sun. As the sun's local magnetic fields get more tangled and crash into each other, they can explode. "The aurora oval that sits up over the northern and southern poles is a result of currents flowing in the Earth's atmosphere," Owens said.

☆ The Northern Lights could dazzle the skies from Washington to New York on Friday, blown by winds from a giant 'hole' on the sun
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Chris Panella | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Northern Lights could appear in the skies over some northern US states on Friday. The lights could be dazzling thanks to solar winds blowing from a giant coronal hole on the sun. NOAA/Space Weather Prediction CenterThese solar winds are coming from a giant coronal hole on the sun. As that giant hole spread across the corona, it blasted strong, high-speed solar winds into space, in the direction of Earth. They have previously driven the aurora lights as far south as New York and Idaho.

The sun is sporting a giant coronal hole that could fit 20-30 Earths across, back-to-back. Coronal holes blast rapid solar winds into space that travel 500-800 kilometers per second. Coronal holes are cooler in temperature, so they don't glow as bright and therefore look black against the rest of the sun. In this case, the solar winds from this coronal hole are scheduled to reach Earth by the end of this week. But coronal holes — even large ones like this — are far less violent.

☆ Telescope video shows part of the sun breaking off and forming a vortex, making scientists scratch their heads
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Video from a NASA telescope shows part of the sun breaking off and swirling around its north pole. More plasma is building up to liftoff at the sun's north pole, which is a once-a-decade event. She added that the telescope footage appeared to show a solar prominence — a large, bright filament extending out from the sun, but anchored to the solar surface. More extreme activity is building on the sun's north poleOn Friday morning, more plasma appeared to be swirling at the solar north pole. Cool plasma building at the surface of the sun's pole appears to be getting ready to lift off, or erupt, into space.

☆ NASA said the sun was seen 'smiling' in a newly released satellite image
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Hannah Williams | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The sun can be seen 'smiling' in a new image from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. The "eyes" and "mouth" on the surface of the sun are coronal holes. The photo was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, a program working to understand the changes in the Sun's radiation output. Today, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the Sun "smiling." "Seen in ultraviolet light, these dark patches on the Sun are known as coronal holes and are regions where fast solar wind gushes out into space."

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