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
Wondering why the aurora borealis was visible so far south last night?
October 11, 2024
Here’s why it’s all thanks to the Sun Read more
Turbulence in the Sun’s corona
September 26, 2024
Rather than a constant breeze, this wind is rather gusty Read more
NASA’s BioSentinel studies solar radiation as Earth watches aurora
September 26, 2024
We wanted to take advantage of the stage of the solar cycle we’re in – the solar maximum Read more
NASA and ESA missions unexpectedly collaborate to reveal what accelerates solar winds
September 15, 2024
As the solar wind moves away, it cools slower than expected and accelerates Read more
Strong solar flare erupts from Sun
September 12, 2024
Flares can impact radio communications, electric power grids, and navigation signals Read more
Scientists show the sun's magnetic activity influences the determination of its seismic age
August 19, 2024
Inside this star, there are waves or pulsations that make it vibrate Read more
Intense solar storm opens '2-way highway' for charged particles, sparking rare auroras on the sun
August 15, 2024
Particles trapped by Earth's magnetism suddenly had a direct path to the Sun Read more
Powerful solar eruption temporarily rips 'tail' off Earth's magnetosphere
August 7, 2024
A CME in 2023 disrupted the normal configuration for about 2 hours Read more
The sun is a 'runaway world collector' that can trap passing rogue planets
August 5, 2024
They could be traded like Pokémon cards with neighboring star Alpha Centauri Read more
These 17th-century drawings of the sun by Kepler add fire to solar cycle mystery
August 3, 2024
Kepler's sun drawings are the oldest sunspot records with known dates Read more
Predicting solar storms before they leave the sun
August 1, 2024
There's a dark side to this solar activity, as the "space weather" it sets off threatens our technology Read more
The sun's corona is weirdly hot, and Parker Solar Probe rules out one explanation
July 30, 2024
By diving into the corona, it has ruled out S-shaped bends in the magnetic field Read more
These 2 US cities are the most vulnerable to solar storms
July 26, 2024
Certain power grids are more susceptible to interference from storms Read more
Scientists say sun's influence penetrates into deep Earth
July 23, 2024
Solar radiation varies with latitude, creating temperature gradients on the sea surface Read more
Solar flares and solar magnetic reconnection get new spotlight in two blazing studies
July 12, 2024
They could help researchers better understand the internal processes of the Sun Read more
NASA Mission to study mysteries in the origin of solar radio waves
July 8, 2024
It's our first time flying a radio interferometer in space in a controlled way Read more
Studying the Sun
June 20, 2024
Solar energy drives the seasons, ocean currents, weather, climate, radiation belts, and auroras on Earth Read more
The sun's magnetic field is about to flip, here's what to expect
June 14, 2024
The reversal could have a beneficial effect on Earth Read more
The origin of the sun’s magnetic field could lie close to its surface
May 22, 2024
Sunspots and flares could be a product of a shallow magnetic field Read more
NASA’s heliophysics experiment to study Sun on European mission
May 21, 2024
This vantage point will give space weather forecasters a new angle to study the Sun Read more
More northern lights soon as Sun storms strengthen
May 17, 2024
There is good news for anyone who enjoyed the show-stopping aurora borealis last weekend - or missed it Read more
How NASA tracked the most intense solar storm in decades
May 16, 2024
We’ll be studying this event for years. It will help us test the limits of our models and understanding of solar storms. Read more
Watch monster flare-spewing sunspot grow to be 15 times wider than Earth
May 10, 2024
The sunspot is so large, you might be able to see it with only eclipse glasses Read more
Why tonight’s massive solar storm could disrupt communications and GPS systems
May 10, 2024
The US government issued its first severe geomagnetic storm watch in nearly 20 years Read more
Solar maximum: What is it and when will it occur?
May 1, 2024
Predicting solar maximum is no mean feat, but we know we are close Read more
Super-cluster of 5 active sunspots on Sun likely to spark radiation storms
April 25, 2024
Despite looking harmless, sunspots are known to explode at the slightest provocation Read more
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
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