Solar Flares Cause Sun Quakes
Explanation:
An 11th magnitude
quake has been recorded on the
Sun, immediately following a moderate
solar flare.
The
quake was the first ever recorded on the
Sun, but only because astronomers have only
recently figured out when and how to find
them using the orbiting
SOHO spacecraft. Dark waves from the quake can
be seen in the above picture spreading out from an
explosive bright flare. The
solar ripples are similar in
appearance to waves caused by a rock thrown into a pond.
The magnitude and evolution of these quakes gives
information about the physical nature of
solar flares, the surface of the
Sun,
and even the Sun's interior.
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.
