Red Sun Streaming
Explanation:
The Sun is leaking. In fact, it is gushing:
particles stream away from the
Sun
at hundreds of kilometers per second. Some of these particles
strike the
Earth and cause
aurora.
Most particles, however, either surround the
Sun
as a huge
solar corona
or
glide into interstellar space
as the
solar wind.
Don't worry about the
Sun
totally evaporating - it loses too little mass to have any lasting
effect. The
above
false-color picture
was taken with the
Large Angle
and Spectrometric Coronograph
on board the
SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory
(SOHO). This instruments blocks out the central solar disk so
it can image the regions surrounding the
Sun.
The large streamers visible are typical.
Where these charged ions get their enormous streaming energy is still a mystery!
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
