Study The Sun With Flare
By Catherine Scullion
Recent pictures gathered by a powerful telescope sum up what the Null has thought since the days when they were a mere slip of a scientist - physics: baffling but beautiful.
The Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on the Japanese Hinode spacecraft orbits 93 million miles from the sun but has enough resolving power to distinguish features as small as 90 metres wide. On December 13, 2006 it recorded a sunspot unleashing a powerful X-class solar flare.
In this case it wasn’t the resolution which was important but the ability of the SOT to ‘see’ the sun’s magnetic field which makes the pictures really special. This is achieved by use of a spectro-polarimeter to analyse the polarisation of emitted light.
"Solar flares are essentially magnetic," explained an absolutely cock-a-hoop John Davis, NASA's project scientist for Hinode at the Marshall Space Flight Center before we stopped being able to follow the explanation.
Although solar flares are not completely understood they are believed to be the result of the magnetic field twisting and stretching until the system becomes unstable and explodes – think winding a rubber band round and round and round on enormous, hydrogen-involving scale.
The flare in December caused massive expulsion of gas which resulted in northern lights as far south as Arizona the following day.
I think that’s enough science for now, this is a story best enjoyed as a pretty picture, or even a video clip, enjoy.
Visit Catherine for more or immerse yourself in further stellar science:
- News - Sailing off to the stars
- Patent Lunacy - Inflatable sunshade
- News - Sunshade solution to global warming
- Website - Look through any telescope
The Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on the Japanese Hinode spacecraft orbits 93 million miles from the sun but has enough resolving power to distinguish features as small as 90 metres wide. On December 13, 2006 it recorded a sunspot unleashing a powerful X-class solar flare.
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In this case it wasn’t the resolution which was important but the ability of the SOT to ‘see’ the sun’s magnetic field which makes the pictures really special. This is achieved by use of a spectro-polarimeter to analyse the polarisation of emitted light.
"Solar flares are essentially magnetic," explained an absolutely cock-a-hoop John Davis, NASA's project scientist for Hinode at the Marshall Space Flight Center before we stopped being able to follow the explanation.
Although solar flares are not completely understood they are believed to be the result of the magnetic field twisting and stretching until the system becomes unstable and explodes – think winding a rubber band round and round and round on enormous, hydrogen-involving scale.
The flare in December caused massive expulsion of gas which resulted in northern lights as far south as Arizona the following day.
I think that’s enough science for now, this is a story best enjoyed as a pretty picture, or even a video clip, enjoy.
Visit Catherine for more or immerse yourself in further stellar science:
- News - Sailing off to the stars
- Patent Lunacy - Inflatable sunshade
- News - Sunshade solution to global warming
- Website - Look through any telescope
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