Tag: "solar wind"

The Sun Shows A Flare for the Dramatic

The Sun Shows A Flare for the Dramatic

A solar flare, associated with the big sunspot numbered 1402, erupted on January 23rd, launching a coronal mass ejection–a "cantaloupe" of plasma that makes Earth look like a grape. Rated as an M9-class flare, it packed umph just shy of what's necessary for adult "X-class" flaredom, the most powerful kind.

 
Ben Burress

Post on Jan 27, 2012 by from

Living in the Sun's Atmosphere

Living in the Sun's Atmosphere

Illustration of a blast of solar wind impacting Earth's protective magnetic field. Credit: NASABreathe in, exhale. Feel the air in your mouth, windpipe, and lungs. That's a sample of Earth's atmosphere: the thin layer of gases enveloping our planet. Did you know that the Sun also has an atmosphere, and that the Earth is inside [...]

 
Ben Burress

Post on Mar 28, 2008 by