The restless star at the center of our solar system never fails to dazzle, as evidenced by this picture of solar plasma taken March 28 by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Guided by the sun’s magnetic field, ropes of plasma escape from the star only to be dragged back or twisted around into whorls of light. Scientists predict 2013 will see a peak in solar activity, and Earthlings got a preview this past weekend when the sun released a mass of plasma and charged particles on April 11. (Related: “Solar Storm Heading Toward Earth.”) The coronal mass ejection hit Earth’s atmosphere on April 13, but only resulted in some faint auroras. (See pictures of the best auroras of February and March.)
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The restless star at the center of our solar system never fails to dazzle, as evidenced by this picture of solar plasma taken March 28 by the Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Guided by the sun’s magnetic field, ropes of plasma escape from the star only to be dragged back or twisted around into whorls of light.

Scientists predict 2013 will see a peak in solar activity, and Earthlings got a preview this past weekend when the sun released a mass of plasma and charged particles on April 11. (Related: “Solar Storm Heading Toward Earth.”)

The coronal mass ejection hit Earth’s atmosphere on April 13, but only resulted in some faint auroras. (See pictures of the best auroras of February and March.)

Source: National Geographic

On March 2, 2013, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) entered its semiannual eclipse season, a period of three weeks when Earth blocks its view of the sun for a period of time each day. On March 11, however, SDO was treated to two transits. Earth blocked SDO’s view of the sun from about 2:15 to 3:45 a.m. EDT. Later in the same day, from around 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. EDT, the moon moved in front of the sun for a partial eclipse.When Earth blocks the sun, the boundaries of Earth’s shadow appear fuzzy, since SDO can see some light from the sun coming through Earth’s atmosphere. The line of Earth appears almost straight, since Earth — from SDO’s point of view — is so large compared to the sun.The eclipse caused by the moon looks far different. Since the moon has no atmosphere, its curved shape can be seen clearly, and the line of its shadow is crisp and clean. Any spacecraft observing the sun from an orbit around Earth has to contend with such eclipses, but SDO’s orbit is designed to minimize them as much as possible, with only two three-week eclipse seasons each year. The 2013 spring eclipse season continues until March 26. The fall season will begin on Sept. 2. 
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On March 2, 2013, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) entered its semiannual eclipse season, a period of three weeks when Earth blocks its view of the sun for a period of time each day. On March 11, however, SDO was treated to two transits. Earth blocked SDO’s view of the sun from about 2:15 to 3:45 a.m. EDT. Later in the same day, from around 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. EDT, the moon moved in front of the sun for a partial eclipse.

When Earth blocks the sun, the boundaries of Earth’s shadow appear fuzzy, since SDO can see some light from the sun coming through Earth’s atmosphere. The line of Earth appears almost straight, since Earth — from SDO’s point of view — is so large compared to the sun.

The eclipse caused by the moon looks far different. Since the moon has no atmosphere, its curved shape can be seen clearly, and the line of its shadow is crisp and clean. Any spacecraft observing the sun from an orbit around Earth has to contend with such eclipses, but SDO’s orbit is designed to minimize them as much as possible, with only two three-week eclipse seasons each year. The 2013 spring eclipse season continues until March 26. The fall season will begin on Sept. 2. 

Source: nasa.gov

This snapshot of a solar eruption, released a few weeks ago by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, reveals the balletic contortions of plasma as it tracks the sun’s magnetic field. Most of the plasma fell back into the sun since there was insufficient magnetic force to propel it into space. (Related: “Solar ‘Tsunami’-Giant Double Sun Eruption Caught on Video.”)
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This snapshot of a solar eruption, released a few weeks ago by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, reveals the balletic contortions of plasma as it tracks the sun’s magnetic field.

Most of the plasma fell back into the sun since there was insufficient magnetic force to propel it into space. (Related: “Solar ‘Tsunami’-Giant Double Sun Eruption Caught on Video.”)

Source: National Geographic

What’s happened to our Sun? Nothing very unusual — it just threw a filament. At the end of last month, a long standing solar filament suddenly erupted into space producing an energetic Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). The filament had been held up for days by the Sun’s ever changing magnetic field and the timing of the eruption was unexpected. Watched closely by the Sun-orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory, the resulting explosion shot electrons and ions into the Solar System, some of which arrived at Earth three days later and impacted Earth’s magnetosphere, causing visible aurorae. Loops of plasma surrounding an active region can be seen above the erupting filament in the ultraviolet image. If you missed this auroral display please do not despair — over the next two years our Sun will be experiencing a solar maximum of activity which promises to produce more CMEs that induce more Earthly auroras.
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What’s happened to our Sun? Nothing very unusual — it just threw a filament. At the end of last month, a long standing solar filament suddenly erupted into space producing an energetic Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). The filament had been held up for days by the Sun’s ever changing magnetic field and the timing of the eruption was unexpected. Watched closely by the Sun-orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory, the resulting explosion shot electrons and ions into the Solar System, some of which arrived at Earth three days later and impacted Earth’s magnetosphere, causing visible aurorae. Loops of plasma surrounding an active region can be seen above the erupting filament in the ultraviolet image. If you missed this auroral display please do not despair — over the next two years our Sun will be experiencing a solar maximum of activity which promises to produce more CMEs that induce more Earthly auroras.

Source: apod.nasa.gov

Sun Is Roundest Natural Object Known

So if you’ve ever drawn a sun as a giant yellow circle in your youth, then you were very accurate. Go tiny you!

The sun is the roundest natural object ever precisely measured, astronomers say.

Astronomers have sought for centuries to see if and how our backyard star’s roundness changes. That’s because even slight changes in the sun’s shape can alter its brightness and, as a result, influence weather and climate on Earth.

But getting a read on the sun’s shape from the ground is hard, due to turbulent air that refracts light and generates inaccurate measurements.

Spacecraft eventually worked around that issue, yet poor image resolution became the next hurdle: Without a crisp view of the rotating sun, it’s difficult to improve existing measurements.

This psychedelic image of the sun from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory is actually two pictures combined, both taken on July 12. It’s also one of National Geographic News’s favorite recent space images. By superimposing an extreme-ultraviolet image of arcing solar material on a “magnetogram” showing magnetic fields, scientists created a complex picture of an active region just before it unleashed a powerful solar flare. According to NASA, such composite images help scientists better understand the origins and causes of the flares.
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This psychedelic image of the sun from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory is actually two pictures combined, both taken on July 12. It’s also one of National Geographic News’s favorite recent space images.

By superimposing an extreme-ultraviolet image of arcing solar material on a “magnetogram” showing magnetic fields, scientists created a complex picture of an active region just before it unleashed a powerful solar flare.

According to NASA, such composite images help scientists better understand the origins and causes of the flares.

Source: National Geographic

Outfitted in a homemade spacesuit, “Camilla” the rubber chicken rides into the stratosphere on March 3 as part of an experiment to measure solar radiation at point-blank range. Students with Bishop Union High School in California launched the chicken—the mascot of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory—before and during a solar storm. For both flights Camilla wore a pair of radiation badges of the same kind used by medical technicians and nuclear workers to assess dosages. The results will help the students design a future astrobiology project to test whether certain species of microbes can survive the harsh conditions at the edge of space.
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Outfitted in a homemade spacesuit, “Camilla” the rubber chicken rides into the stratosphere on March 3 as part of an experiment to measure solar radiation at point-blank range.

Students with Bishop Union High School in California launched the chicken—the mascot of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory—before and during a solar storm. For both flights Camilla wore a pair of radiation badges of the same kind used by medical technicians and nuclear workers to assess dosages.

The results will help the students design a future astrobiology project to test whether certain species of microbes can survive the harsh conditions at the edge of space.

Source: National Geographic

A huge loop of plasma erupts from the left side of the sun, as seen from Earth, in a new picture from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft taken on Monday. The release of the so-called solar prominence was accompanied by a medium-strength solar flare. The eruptions also sent out a cloud of charged particles known as a coronal mass ejection, or CME. These invisible clouds can cause auroras and even electrical outages when aimed at Earth. (See “As Sun Storms Ramp Up, Electric Grid Braces for Impact.”)
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A huge loop of plasma erupts from the left side of the sun, as seen from Earth, in a new picture from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft taken on Monday. The release of the so-called solar prominence was accompanied by a medium-strength solar flare.

The eruptions also sent out a cloud of charged particles known as a coronal mass ejection, or CME. These invisible clouds can cause auroras and even electrical outages when aimed at Earth. (See “As Sun Storms Ramp Up, Electric Grid Braces for Impact.”)

Source: National Geographic

A 3-D image of an active sun shows sunspots and “wonderful active regions in exquisite detail,” according to NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. (See where you can get 3-D glasses to better appreciate this image.) A powerful sun storm—associated with the second biggest solar flare of the current 11-year sun cycle—hit Earth last week. Despite warnings of possible GPS, communications, and power failures,Thursday’s sun storm was a softy, scientists say.
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A 3-D image of an active sun shows sunspots and “wonderful active regions in exquisite detail,” according to NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. (See where you can get 3-D glasses to better appreciate this image.)

A powerful sun storm—associated with the second biggest solar flare of the current 11-year sun cycle—hit Earth last week.

Despite warnings of possible GPS, communications, and power failures,Thursday’s sun storm was a softy, scientists say.

Source: National Geographic

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