Can We Predict Solar Storms?
When you think of natural disasters, things like hurricanes and earthquakes come to mind. Though massive solar storms are far less common, they can be even more dangerous to life as we know it. The strongest storm on record, the Carrington Event in 1859, ignited fires at telegraph stations and shut down all communications on these lines. The solar flare responsible for the storm was briefly brighter than the Sun itself and caused aurora in the tropics! If a storm that strong occurred now, it could shut down power grids, communication satellites, phone lines, and radar stations around the world. That’s why being able to predict storms is crucial to giving us time to brace for the effects and minimize damage. Using data from spacecraft observing the Sun together with AI technology, NASA can now issue warnings 30 minutes before a storm will strike, as well as where effects will be the worst, and they continue to improve their capabilities. Read More
Latest News About The Sun
Tracing the largest solar storm in modern times from tree rings in Lapland
April 4, 2024
A research group was able to measure a spike in radiocarbon concentration after the Carrington flare Read more
Scientists use NASA data to predict solar corona before eclipse
April 2, 2024
The powerful magnetic field defines these strands, causing them to ripple and evolve Read more
NASA’s open data approach to solar eclipse research
March 29, 2024
Participants from all backgrounds can work together with NASA to make discoveries Read more
Long-period oscillations control the Sun’s differential rotation
March 27, 2024
The interior of the Sun does not rotate at the same rate at all latitudes Read more
Sun releases strong flare
March 25, 2024
Flares can impact radio communications, electric power grids, and pose risks to spacecraft and astronauts Read more
Eclipse photographers will help study Sun during its disappearing act
March 14, 2024
They will be participating in three NASA-funded citizen science projects Read more
What a major solar storm could do to our planet
February 26, 2024
Disturbances on the sun may have the potential to devastate our power grid and communication systems Read more
How you can participate in solar eclipse research
February 1, 2024
Volunteers can join several crowdsourced science projects during the total solar eclipse in April Read more
CSUN Prof’s research efforts may solve solar mystery in the Sun’s layers
January 22, 2024
They reveal a new, complex, snake-like pattern of energy in the magnetic field Read more
NASA spacecraft preparing to attempt "basically landing" on the Sun
January 4, 2024
The Parker Solar Probe will attempt to brush past the Sun's atmosphere at a blistering 435,000 mph Read more
10 scorching-hot discoveries made about the sun in 2023
December 24, 2023
A surprisingly active solar cycle, finding evidence of ancient superflares, and solar auroras Read more
Watch giant loop of plasma dance above the sun in stunning video
December 23, 2023
The loop-like structure is taller than 10 Earths Read more
How Solar Orbiter is decoding the sun's mysterious miniflares
December 18, 2023
'What we see is just the tip of the iceberg' Read more
Sun unleashes most powerful solar flare since 2017
December 15, 2023
The flare may have been accompanied by a plasma eruption now headed toward Earth Read more
Gigantic 'hole' in the sun wider than 60 Earths is spewing superfast solar wind right at us
December 5, 2023
However, the solar wind has been less intense than expected Read more
Sun unleashes ‘canyon of fire’ filament of plasma
November 29, 2023
A solar outburst shoots charged particles into space—and toward Earth Read more
Stronger activity on the Sun could bring more displays of the northern lights in 2024
November 9, 2023
"Forecasting such events is extremely difficult more than a few days in advance" Read more
Solar maximum will arrive sooner and last longer than previously expected
October 30, 2023
"It's a pretty significant change," say scientists Read more
Staring at the Sun — close-up images from space rewrite solar science
October 25, 2023
Researchers have never had such detailed views of our nearest star Read more
1st-ever radio images of an annular solar eclipse showcase the sun's extended corona
October 25, 2023
Typically, we can only see it during a total eclipse Read more
Snake-like magnetic fields on the sun bring scientists closer to solving a major solar mystery
October 19, 2023
These could be driving energy to the outer layers of the atmosphere Read more
‘Ring of fire’ annular eclipse wows Sun-gazers across the Americas
October 14, 2023
The horns of the crescent Sun wrapping fully around the Moon thrilled the crowd Read more
Massive Sun outburst smacks NASA spacecraft
September 18, 2023
If it had hit Earth, it could have caused continent-scale blackouts Read more
We may finally know why the Sun's outer atmosphere is so freakishly hot
September 13, 2023
Temperatures reach up to 72 million degrees F Read more
Solar Orbiter observes jets of material escaping the Sun
August 24, 2023
They last between 20 and 100 seconds each and move at about 223,694 mph Read more
Sun blasts out highest-energy radiation ever recorded, raising questions for solar physics
August 6, 2023
Something like 1 trillion electron volts, to be exact Read more
Scientists may have just cracked the Sun's greatest mystery
July 26, 2023
Newly discovered fast magnetic waves might explain why the Sun's corona is so hot Read more
Stunning, hours-long solar flare unleashes plasma blob
July 18, 2023
The sun is producing fireworks — letting off a trio of solar flares in just two hours Read more
Yes, solar storms are increasing, but don't lose sleep over an 'internet apocalypse'
July 8, 2023
Reports of NASA warnings are fictitious Read more
Sun breaks out with record number of sunspots, sparking solar storm concerns
July 3, 2023
Over 160 sunspots in June, the highest since 2002 Read more
Fascinating Facts About The Sun
- The energy Earth receives from the Sun is 10,000 times the total world energy use, or about 48,000,000,000 kWh every second. Look at your electricity bill. How many kWh did you use last month? Divide that by 2,600,000 to get the kWh you used each second.
- It is a ball of plasma (super-heated gas) composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of other elements that were produced by much more massive stars and then distributed throughout the galaxy when those stars exploded.
- Its core, which is 15,000,000°C, is 13 times denser than lead. The nuclear fusion happening there is the source of all the Sun's energy.
- The 'surface of the Sun' is a thin layer called the photosphere, which is 5,500°C. It's where all the sunlight we receive comes from, and what defines the shape of the Sun we see in the sky.
- Its outer atmosphere, called the corona, can be as hot as 1,000,000°C. It can only be seen by human eyes during a total solar eclipse, when the photosphere is blocked by the Moon. Except for during totality of an eclipse, NEVER look directly at the Sun without specialized eclipse-viewing glasses sold by a reputable scientific equipment company.
- Its light is essentially white to our eyes, having only an imperceptibly higher amount of yellow light in it. Fresh, pure snow reflects over 90% of visible light, so it closely resembles the color of sunlight.
- Though its size is small among all types of stars, it is much bigger than most of the stars around us, since smaller red dwarf stars dominate our galaxy.
- Every 11 years, it reverses its magnetic polarity: its north pole becomes a south pole, and vice versa. During this change, solar activity is higher, creating more sun spots, flares, and eruptions.
- It takes light over 100,000 years to get from the Sun's core to its surface, traveling through the dense layers of plasma. It would take about 2 seconds for light to move that distance through empty space. It then takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds to get to Earth.
Sources: NASA, US Department of Energy, US Energy Information Administration
Missions
Solar Orbiter (2020)
Taking the closest ever images of the Sun, it is studying its 11-year cycle, the temperature of the corona, and the solar wind
Parker Solar Probe (2018)
Getting 7 times closer to the Sun than any previous spacecraft, it is exploring the Sun’s atmosphere by flying through it at 430,000 mph
DSCOVR (2015)
The Deep Space Climate Observatory monitors changes in the solar wind, providing space weather alerts and forecasts for geomagnetic storms that could disrupt power grids, satellites, telecommunications, aviation and GPS
IRIS (2013)
The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph observes how solar material produces energy that heats up the Sun’s atmosphere
Solar Dynamics Observatory (2010)
Studies the Sun’s energy, the workings inside the Sun and how energy is stored and released
STEREO (2006)
The Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, a pair of spacecraft, has provided stereoscopic measurements to study the Sun, space weather and coronal mass ejections
ACE (1997)
The Advanced Composition Explorer contributes to our understanding of the Sun, its interaction with Earth, and the evolution of the Solar System
SOHO (1996)
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory is investigating the Sun's core, corona, and solar wind; it also makes comet discoveries
Ulysses (1990)
Observed the north and south poles of the Sun through a series of passes in 1994/1995, 2000/2001, and 2007/2008
Helios A&B (1974-1976)
Observed solar wind, magnetic and electric fields, cosmic rays and cosmic dust between Earth and the Sun
Pioneer 6-9 (1965-1968)
A network of solar-orbiting "space weather" monitors, observing solar wind, cosmic rays, and magnetic fields; a few are still functional