by APOD Robot » Wed Feb 22, 2023 5:06 am
Our Increasingly Active Sun
Explanation: Our Sun is becoming a busy place. Only two years ago, the Sun was emerging from a
solar minimum so quiet that
months would go by
without even a single
sunspot. In contrast, already this year and well ahead of schedule, our Sun is
unusually active, already nearing solar activity levels seen a decade ago during the last
solar maximum. Our increasingly active Sun was captured two weeks ago sporting numerous
interesting features.
The image was recorded in a single color of light called
Hydrogen Alpha, color-inverted, and false colored.
Spicules carpet much of the Sun's face. The brightening towards the Sun's edges is caused by increased absorption of relatively cool solar gas and called
limb darkening. Just
outside the Sun's disk, several scintillating
prominences protrude, while prominences on the Sun's face are known as
filaments and show as light streaks. Magnetically tangled
active regions are both dark and light and contain cool
sunspots. As our
Sun's magnetic field winds toward solar maximum over the next few years, whether the
Sun's high activity will continue to increase is unknown.
[url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230222.html] [img]https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_230222.jpg[/img] [size=150]Our Increasingly Active Sun[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] Our Sun is becoming a busy place. Only two years ago, the Sun was emerging from a [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_minimum]solar minimum[/url] so quiet that [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190306.html]month[/url]s would go by [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190715.html]without[/url] even a single [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150629.html]sunspot[/url]. In contrast, already this year and well ahead of schedule, our Sun is [url=https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2023/02/04/sunspot-counts-hit-their-highest-level-in-9-years/]unusually active[/url], already nearing solar activity levels seen a decade ago during the last [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_maximum]solar maximum[/url]. Our increasingly active Sun was captured two weeks ago sporting numerous [url=https://miro.medium.com/max/2400/1*Bp1dNLfyDjH2QCgALi-BrQ.jpeg]interesting[/url] features. [url=https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=745237160282433&set=a.220016599471161]The image[/url] was recorded in a single color of light called [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-alpha]Hydrogen Alpha[/url], color-inverted, and false colored. [url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/scientists-uncover-origins-of-the-sun-s-swirling-spicules]Spicules[/url] carpet much of the Sun's face. The brightening towards the Sun's edges is caused by increased absorption of relatively cool solar gas and called [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limb_darkening]limb darkening[/url]. Just [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220302.html]outside the Sun's disk[/url], several scintillating [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150125.html]prominences protrude[/url], while prominences on the Sun's face are known as [url=https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220913.html]filaments[/url] and show as light streaks. Magnetically tangled [url=https://www.nasa.gov/feature/sdo-shows-active-regions-across-front-of-sun]active regions[/url] are both dark and light and contain cool [url=https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/solar-activity/en/]sunspots[/url]. As our [url=https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/suns-magnetic-field-portrayed]Sun's magnetic field[/url] winds toward solar maximum over the next few years, whether the [url=https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2023/02/04/sunspot-counts-hit-their-highest-level-in-9-years/]Sun's high activity[/url] will continue to increase is unknown.
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