Solar flare
A solar flare or solar limb is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun's surface. It is a large energy release of up to 6 × 1025 joules of energy. The energy is about a sixth of the total energy that is released from the Sun each second equal to 160,000,000,000 megatons of TNT. It can also be compared with the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter. The release is then followed by a colossal coronal mass ejection also known as a CME.[1] The first flare releases clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona of the Sun into space. These clouds usually reach planet Earth a day or two after this has happened.[2] A solar flare is sometimes referred to another phenomena in other stars, such as stellar flare.
Solar flares affect all layers of the solar atmosphere such as the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona. Solar flares produce radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum at all wavelengths from radio waves to gamma rays. Most of the energy goes to frequencies outside its range and because of this most of the flares cannot be seen by the naked eye. Solar flares are observed (looked at) with special instruments. Solar flares occur in active regions around sunspots. Solar flares are powered by the sudden release of magnetic energy that is stored in the corona. The same energy releases may produce coronal mass ejections (CME), although the relation between CMEs and flares is still not known.
X-rays and UV radiation that is released by solar flares can affect Earth's ionosphere. Because of this, radio communications, radars and other devices may be disrupted for a short time. Richard Christopher Carrington was the first person to observe a solar flare in 1859.[3] Carrington had spotted brightening's of small areas within a sunspot group. Stellar flares have also been observed on several of other stars. Solar flares can be "active" from several flares a day or "quiet" from several flares every week. Solar flares occurs during the 11-year cycle (the solar cycle). There are less "large flares" than smaller ones.
Solar Flare Media
An X5.4-class solar flare causing blooming, vertical streaking, and diffraction patterns to form in the image taken by the 131 Å (13.1 nm) sensor aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory on 6 March 2012
A post-eruption arcade present after an X5.7-class solar flare during the Bastille Day solar storm.
Multi-spacecraft observations of the 20 March 2014 X-class flare.
Massive X6.9-class solar flare, August 9, 2011
Richard Carrington's sketch of the first recorded solar flare (A and B mark the initial bright points which moved over the course of five minutes to C and D before disappearing)
Short narrated video about Fermi's observations of the highest-energy light ever associated with an eruption on the Sun as of March 2012
Active Region 1515 released an X1.1-class flare from the lower right of the Sun on 6 July 2012, peaking at 7:08 PM EDT. This flare caused a radio blackout, labeled as an R3 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations scale that goes from R1 to R5.
Space weather—March 2012.
.jpg)
References
- ↑ Kopp, Greg; Lawrence, George; Rottman, Gary (2005). "The Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM): Science Results". Solar Physics. 20 (1–2): 129–139. Bibcode:2005SoPh..230..129K. doi:10.1007/s11207-005-7433-9. S2CID 44013218.
- ↑ Menzel, Whipple, and de Vaucouleurs, "Survey of the Universe", 1970
- ↑ "Description of a Singular Appearance seen in the Sun on September 1, 1859", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v20, pp13+, 1859
Other websites
- Live Solar Images and Data Site Includes x-ray flare, geomagnetic, space weather information detailing current solar events.
- Solar Cycle 24 and VHF Aurora Website (www.solarcycle24.com)
- Solar Weather Site
- Current Solar Flare - and geomagnetic activity in dashboard style (www.solar-flares.info) Archived 2021-02-25 at the Wayback Machine
- STEREO Spacecraft Site