Latest news with #solarflares
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Just Solved a Solar Mystery That Baffled Humanity For Centuries
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Why sunspots are able to last so long has been a mystery for millenia, but a new observation technique revealed their secret. The equilibrium between magnetic fields and pressure allows the solar blotches to remain stable anywhere from days to months. Despite being darker, cooler regions of the sun, sunspots are related to its hot temper, and can help predict solar outbursts like flares and coronal mass ejections. Sunspots were observed on the surface of our star centuries before Galileo suffered eye damage peering at them through his telescope. The first known records were written down by Chinese astronomers in 27 B.C., but observation may go even further back if Greek philosopher Anaxagoras really, ahem, spotted one in 467 B.C. While some of the ancients thought that these shadows on our star meant changes in the cosmos, sunspots are surprisingly stable—and now we know why. Sunspots are actually byproducts of magnetic field chaos. Inside the sun's convective zone, scorching plasma cools as it moves towards the solar surface, taking energy with it. This plasma becomes denser as it loses heat and sinks, forming cooler dark spots until heat from further inside the sun causes it to rise again. And all the while, magnetic fields keep twisting and breaking and rearranging themselves. This explains the association of sunspots with the outbursts we know as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which can release enough electromagnetic radiation to threaten satellites and electrical infrastructure on Earth. More stable sunspots can possibly give more insight to the solar activity cycle, which is about 11 years long and peaks during a solar maximum. Previous explanations for their stability suggested an equilibrium between magnetic fields and gas pressure, but magnetic turmoil has long made this difficult to observe. Now, an international research team using Germany's GREGOR solar telescope has finally cleared up the hazy observations of sunspots with a new method that removes interference from Earth's atmosphere and reveals strikingly clear images. Led by researchers from the Institute of Solar Physics in Freiburg, Germany, the technique—originally developed at the Göttingen Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research—has achieved what only (much more expensive) satellites were able to do before: it made the analysis of polarized light from the Sun possible. Polarization is the phenomenon of light's electric field moving back and forth, perpendicular to the direction in which the light wave itself is headed, and light is said to be polarized when it continues to propagate one way (as opposed to scattering). By taking a closer look at polarized light, the team was able to tell exactly where it was coming from within sunspots, and what was going on inside. It turned out that the equilibrium in sunspots is a balance of pressure and magnetism. Magnetic fields are strongest when electrons remain unattached, but as more pressure is exerted, it forces them into pairs and weakens the magnetic field. Just enough pressure balances out the strength of magnetic fields and keeps the sunspots intact for extended periods. This is known as magnetohydrostatic equilibrium, which describes the properties of a gas or fluid (such as solar plasma) in a magnetic field. Because solar plasma can conduct electricity, it supports the magnetic field it interacts with. '[Our] results provide decisive observational and theoretical support for the idea that sunspots slowly evolve around an equilibrium state and are [in] magnetohydrostatic equilibrium, thereby helping to explain their long lifespans,' the researchers said in a study recently published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. Understanding why sunspots—and the solar turbulence that comes with them—can hang around for so long will help us better forecast space weather and possibly prevent blackouts, damage to satellites, and threats to astronauts' health. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northern lights could be visible in Oklahoma tonight. Here's how to watch
The night sky had a few more colors than usual, and in case you missed it, you may have another chance tonight. The northern lights are caused by solar flares that reach Earth. When the flares get close enough to Earth's atmosphere, the planet's magnetic field protects us from the high-speed electrons and protons. The magnetic field redirects the recent activity to the north and south poles, making it almost pertinent to view the lights immediately following the activity. While Wednesday, July 16, had a higher likelihood of visibility, another coronal mass ejection is set to strike late on July 17. Here's what to expect for Monday night's light show. More: Dazzling northern lights display captured on video: Watch enchanting time-lapse footage Will the northern lights be visible in Oklahoma? It's possible! Sunday night's light show was more active than predicted for Monday night, but active levels are still forecast for tonight. According to the NOAA, geomagnetic activity is forecast to start at 6 p.m. CT. However, when the sun sets at 8:45 p.m., a peak is expected from 9 p.m. until midnight. The best chance of seeing auroras late at night is to look north between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. local time, and away from city lights. This far south, the lights are best seen with a camera, even the one that comes equipped with your smartphone. Although some maps and forecasts have predicted low visibility in southern states, some Oklahomans have still documented nights throughout the summer when they saw the lights in the late-night hours. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NOAA northern lights forecast: Will we see them in Oklahoma tonight? Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northern Lights possible this week, Met Office says, thanks to solar storms
The Met Office says charge particles from two solar flares could crash into the Earth's atmosphere creating Northern lights displays for the next few days. Two recent Coronal Mass Ejections - when material from the Sun's surface is thrown into space, could collide with the Earth today, rushing towards the atmosphere thanks to high-speed solar winds. The Space Weather forecast reads: "There is the potential for two possible Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) arrivals, along with a possible connection to a high-speed solar wind stream later into July 3. These factors may lead to an expansion of the auroral oval, increasing the likelihood of aurora sightings across higher latitudes. "That said, significant displays remain unlikely due to the limited hours of darkness in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year." READ MORE: Government says stock up on nine emergency items as war risk increases READ MORE: My son's final words were 'dad did this and he did it on purpose' There are currently up to eleven sunspot regions on the visible surface of the Sun. Two region have shown some recent growth and could spark solar flares. No Earth-directed Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) were observed in the past 24hrs. The Met Office said solar activity is expected to increase to 'Unsettled to Active' with 'G1/Minor Storm (Kp5) intervals' on July 2 and 3 on Day 1 into Day 2 (02-03 Jul), and a Slight Chance of G2/Moderate Storm (Kp6). That means there is a possibility of seeing Northern Lights. Geomagnetic activity expected to lessen through the end of the week.
