However, its corona or outer atmosphere, which stretches up to several million kilometres beyond its surface, is much, much hotter than the surface. Though the core of the Sun is at a temperature of about 15 million degrees, its outer layer, the photosphere is a mere 5700 degrees hot. There are two main puzzles about the Sun which this advancement will help address. The method could potentially be used to produce routine magnetic field maps for the corona that are similar to those already available for the Sun’s surface. By combining these measurements, they derived maps of the magnetic field throughout the entire observable corona. The scientists have used near-infrared imaging spectroscopy to determine the electron density and magnetohydrodynamic wave speed in the corona. However, up until now, routine measurements of the solar magnetic field have only been achieved at the surface of the star (the area of the Sun known as the photosphere). The magnetic field threads through the different layers of the Sun’s atmosphere, which means that information on the magnetic field of the whole atmosphere is required in order to understand the interplay between the solar plasma and magnetic field. The magnetic field governs many aspects of the Sun’s behaviour, leading to an 11-year solar cycle, spectacular solar eruptions, and the heating of the hot gas (plasma) in the solar corona to millions of degrees celsius.
The Sun is a magnetized star, and its magnetic field plays a critical role in shaping the solar atmosphere. This research has been published in the journal Science. The group has measured the global magnetic field of the Sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, for the very first time. These speeds are so high that the particles can escape the Sun's gravity.Ĭonceptual animation (not to scale) showing the Sun's corona and solar wind.A significant advancement has been made by an international team of solar physicists led by those from Peking University, China, and National Center for Atmospheric Research of the United States. The corona's temperature causes its particles to move at very high speeds. From it comes the solar wind that travels through our solar system. We can view these features in detail with special telescopes. These include streamers, loops, and plumes. The Sun's magnetic fields affect charged particles in the corona to form beautiful features. This is the force that makes magnets stick to metal, like the door of your refrigerator. The surface of the Sun is covered in magnetic fields. But astronomers think that this is only one of many ways in which the corona is heated. In the corona, the heat bombs explode and release their energy as heat. The mission discovered packets of very hot material called "heat bombs" that travel from the Sun into the corona.
Yet the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the Sun’s surface.Ī NASA mission called IRIS may have provided one possible answer. The corona is in the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere-far from its surface.
This is the opposite of what seems to happen on the Sun.Īstronomers have been trying to solve this mystery for a long time. But when you walk away from the fire, you feel cooler. Imagine that you’re sitting next to a campfire. The corona’s high temperatures are a bit of a mystery. Image of corona from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory showing features created by magnetic fields. This low density makes the corona much less bright than the surface of the Sun. Why? The corona is about 10 million times less dense than the Sun’s surface. The corona reaches extremely high temperatures.
THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE SUN CORONA DOES WHAT HOW TO
Find tips on how to safely view an eclipse here. Remember to never look directly at the Sun, even during an eclipse.
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