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In solar physics, a prominence, sometimes referred to as a filament, [a] is a large plasma and magnetic field structure extending outward from the Sun's surface, often in a loop shape. Prominences are anchored to the Sun's surface in the much brighter photosphere , and extend outwards into the solar corona .
A solar flare is a relatively intense, localized emission of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and other eruptive solar phenomena. The occurrence of solar flares varies with the 11-year solar cycle.
Solar prominences, explains NASA, are large, bright loops of plasma anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere — the visible surface of the Sun — that extend into the Sun's outer ...
Coronal loops have been shown on both active and quiet regions of the solar surface. Active regions on the solar surface take up small areas but produce the majority of activity and are often the source of flares and coronal mass ejections due to the intense magnetic field present. Active regions produce 82% of the total coronal heating energy.
How fast does a coronal mass ejection travel vs. a solar flare? A CME can reach speeds of almost 1,900 miles per second. At that speed one can reach Earth in about 15 to 18 hours. But CMEs do like ...
The early evolution of CMEs is frequently associated with other solar phenomena observed in the low corona, such as eruptive prominences and solar flares. CMEs that have no observed signatures are sometimes referred to as stealth CMEs. [11] [12] Prominences embedded in some CME pre-eruption structures may erupt with the CME as eruptive prominences.
On 2 April 1845, Fizeau and Foucault first photographed the Sun. Photography assisted in the study of solar prominences, granulation, spectroscopy and solar eclipses. [52] On 1 September 1859, Richard C. Carrington and separately R. Hodgson first observed a solar flare. [52]
Often accompanying large solar flares and prominences are coronal mass ejections (CME). These are enormous emissions of coronal material and magnetic field that travel outward from the Sun at up to 3000 km/s, [ 24 ] containing roughly 10 times the energy of the solar flare or prominence that accompanies them.