Solar Physics
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Astrophotographer Captures Giant Human-Shaped Solar Prominence
Astrophotographer Mark Johnston captured a remarkable solar prominence resembling a giant figure rising above the Sun. The image highlights how magnetic fields shape vast clouds of plasma during the Sun's active solar maximum phase.
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ESA’s Solar Orbiter Reveals How Magnetic Avalanches Trigger Solar Flares
New observations from ESA’s Solar Orbiter show that solar flares can be triggered by cascading magnetic disturbances. During a close solar pass, the spacecraft captured fine details of twisted magnetic fields repeatedly breaking and reconnecting, creating a magnetic “avalanche” that amplified a small instability into a powerful flare. The fin...
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Scientists May Have Finally Solved the Sun’s Mysteriously Hot Atmosphere Puzzle
Scientists using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have detected Alfvén waves in the Sun’s corona, potentially solving the long-standing mystery of its extreme heat and helping refine models of solar and stellar energy transfer.
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Scientists Detect Hidden Magnetic Waves That Could Explain the Sun’s Mysterious Heat
For the first time, scientists have directly observed twisting Alfvén waves in the Sun’s corona using the Inouye Solar Telescope. The discovery could explain why the Sun’s outer atmosphere is millions of degrees hotter than its surface, offering key insights into solar energy transfer and space weather prediction.
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NASA’s PUNCH Mission Completes Final Orbit Manoeuvres, Opens Early Sun Data to the Public
NASA’s PUNCH mission has reached full operational status, enabling continuous monitoring of the Sun and solar wind from multiple vantage points around Earth. This collaborative effort complements other major solar missions and promises valuable insights into the Sun–Earth connection. Early public release of PUNCH’s science data marks an excit...
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Why Are Sunsets So Pretty In Winter? There's A Simple Explanation
If you live in the southern hemisphere and have been stopped in your tracks by a recent sunset, you may have noticed they seem more vibrant lately. The colours are brighter and bolder, and they linger longer in the sky.
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Massive X1.1-class Solar Flare Causes Radio Blackouts Across America
A strong X1.1-class solar flare erupted from sunspot AR4046 on March 28, 2025. The flare caused major radio blackouts in North and South America, affecting high-frequency communications. A coronal mass ejection (CME) followed the flare but is not expected to hit Earth. More solar activity is anticipated from sunspot AR4046 and AR4048, with a 15% ch...
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Aditya-L1’s SUIT Telescope Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Revealing Unseen Solar Activity
India’s Aditya-L1 mission has achieved a historic milestone with its Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) capturing the first-ever solar flare kernel in the near-ultraviolet spectrum. This unprecedented observation confirms energy transfer across different layers of the Sun's atmosphere, advancing the understanding of solar flares and spac...
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Astrophotographer Captures Giant Human-Shaped Solar Prominence
Astrophotographer Mark Johnston captured a remarkable solar prominence resembling a giant figure rising above the Sun. The image highlights how magnetic fields shape vast clouds of plasma during the Sun's active solar maximum phase.
-
ESA’s Solar Orbiter Reveals How Magnetic Avalanches Trigger Solar Flares
New observations from ESA’s Solar Orbiter show that solar flares can be triggered by cascading magnetic disturbances. During a close solar pass, the spacecraft captured fine details of twisted magnetic fields repeatedly breaking and reconnecting, creating a magnetic “avalanche” that amplified a small instability into a powerful flare. The fin...
-
Scientists May Have Finally Solved the Sun’s Mysteriously Hot Atmosphere Puzzle
Scientists using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have detected Alfvén waves in the Sun’s corona, potentially solving the long-standing mystery of its extreme heat and helping refine models of solar and stellar energy transfer.
-
Scientists Detect Hidden Magnetic Waves That Could Explain the Sun’s Mysterious Heat
For the first time, scientists have directly observed twisting Alfvén waves in the Sun’s corona using the Inouye Solar Telescope. The discovery could explain why the Sun’s outer atmosphere is millions of degrees hotter than its surface, offering key insights into solar energy transfer and space weather prediction.
-
NASA’s PUNCH Mission Completes Final Orbit Manoeuvres, Opens Early Sun Data to the Public
NASA’s PUNCH mission has reached full operational status, enabling continuous monitoring of the Sun and solar wind from multiple vantage points around Earth. This collaborative effort complements other major solar missions and promises valuable insights into the Sun–Earth connection. Early public release of PUNCH’s science data marks an excit...
-
Why Are Sunsets So Pretty In Winter? There's A Simple Explanation
If you live in the southern hemisphere and have been stopped in your tracks by a recent sunset, you may have noticed they seem more vibrant lately. The colours are brighter and bolder, and they linger longer in the sky.
-
Massive X1.1-class Solar Flare Causes Radio Blackouts Across America
A strong X1.1-class solar flare erupted from sunspot AR4046 on March 28, 2025. The flare caused major radio blackouts in North and South America, affecting high-frequency communications. A coronal mass ejection (CME) followed the flare but is not expected to hit Earth. More solar activity is anticipated from sunspot AR4046 and AR4048, with a 15% ch...
-
Aditya-L1’s SUIT Telescope Captures First-Ever Solar Flare Kernel, Revealing Unseen Solar Activity
India’s Aditya-L1 mission has achieved a historic milestone with its Solar Ultra-violet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) capturing the first-ever solar flare kernel in the near-ultraviolet spectrum. This unprecedented observation confirms energy transfer across different layers of the Sun's atmosphere, advancing the understanding of solar flares and spac...
