APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
Post Reply
User avatar
APOD Robot
Otto Posterman
Posts: 5368
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:27 am
Contact:

APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by APOD Robot » Wed May 17, 2023 4:08 am

Image Sunspot with Light Bridge

Explanation: Why would a small part of the Sun appear slightly dark? Visible is a close-up picture of sunspots, depressions on the Sun's surface that are slightly cooler and less bright than the rest of the Sun. The Sun's complex magnetic field creates these cool regions by inhibiting hot material from entering the spots. Sunspots can be larger than the Earth and typically last for about a week. Part of active region AR 3297 crossing the Sun in early May, the large lower sunspot is spanned by an impressive light bridge of hot and suspended solar gas. This high-resolution picture also shows clearly that the Sun's surface is a bubbling carpet of separate cells of hot gas. These cells are known as granules. A solar granule is about 1000 kilometers across and lasts for only about 15 minutes.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>

User avatar
VictorBorun
Captain
Posts: 1033
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:25 pm
Contact:

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by VictorBorun » Wed May 17, 2023 6:16 am

the bridge is connecting the main subject with the minor dark spot at 7 o'clock, is not it?
Therefore the two spots must be two eyes of a single long-living coil mostly lurking under the surface.
I wonder if such coils survive 11+11 years of sinking deep at equator down through the convection layer and then going up again in high latitudes…

User avatar
Rauf
Science Officer
Posts: 195
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2018 3:47 pm

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by Rauf » Wed May 17, 2023 10:58 am

APOD Robot wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:08 am Image Sunspot with Light Bridge

Explanation: Why would a small part of the Sun appear slightly dark? Visible is a close-up picture of sunspots, depressions on the Sun's surface that are slightly cooler and less bright than the rest of the Sun. The Sun's complex magnetic field creates these cool regions by inhibiting hot material from entering the spots. Sunspots can be larger than the Earth and typically last for about a week. Part of active region AR 3297 crossing the Sun in early May, the large lower sunspot is spanned by an impressive light bridge of hot and suspended solar gas. This high-resolution picture also shows clearly that the Sun's surface is a bubbling carpet of separate cells of hot gas. These cells are known as granules. A solar granule is about 1000 kilometers across and lasts for only about 15 minutes.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>
What is the relation between the number of starspots with their surface temperature? Do hotter, more blue stars get them more or less? Or is it not related at all?

User avatar
johnnydeep
Commodore
Posts: 2839
Joined: Sun Feb 20, 2011 8:57 pm

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by johnnydeep » Wed May 17, 2023 3:35 pm

Rauf wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 10:58 am
APOD Robot wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:08 am Image Sunspot with Light Bridge

Explanation: Why would a small part of the Sun appear slightly dark? Visible is a close-up picture of sunspots, depressions on the Sun's surface that are slightly cooler and less bright than the rest of the Sun. The Sun's complex magnetic field creates these cool regions by inhibiting hot material from entering the spots. Sunspots can be larger than the Earth and typically last for about a week. Part of active region AR 3297 crossing the Sun in early May, the large lower sunspot is spanned by an impressive light bridge of hot and suspended solar gas. This high-resolution picture also shows clearly that the Sun's surface is a bubbling carpet of separate cells of hot gas. These cells are known as granules. A solar granule is about 1000 kilometers across and lasts for only about 15 minutes.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>
What is the relation between the number of starspots with their surface temperature? Do hotter, more blue stars get them more or less? Or is it not related at all?
Very interesting question. I don't know the answer, but whatever the science may say, it would be difficult to prove it without being able to image the surfaces of stars other than our Sun in much more detail that is currently possible. Simulations would still be possible though, and could be revealing.
--
"To B̬̻̋̚o̞̮̚̚l̘̲̀᷾d̫͓᷅ͩḷ̯᷁ͮȳ͙᷊͠ Go......Beyond The F͇̤i̙̖e̤̟l̡͓d͈̹s̙͚ We Know."{ʲₒʰₙNYᵈₑᵉₚ}

User avatar
VictorBorun
Captain
Posts: 1033
Joined: Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:25 pm
Contact:

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by VictorBorun » Wed May 17, 2023 3:44 pm

johnnydeep wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:35 pm
Rauf wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 10:58 am
APOD Robot wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:08 am Image Sunspot with Light Bridge

Explanation: Why would a small part of the Sun appear slightly dark? Visible is a close-up picture of sunspots, depressions on the Sun's surface that are slightly cooler and less bright than the rest of the Sun. The Sun's complex magnetic field creates these cool regions by inhibiting hot material from entering the spots. Sunspots can be larger than the Earth and typically last for about a week. Part of active region AR 3297 crossing the Sun in early May, the large lower sunspot is spanned by an impressive light bridge of hot and suspended solar gas. This high-resolution picture also shows clearly that the Sun's surface is a bubbling carpet of separate cells of hot gas. These cells are known as granules. A solar granule is about 1000 kilometers across and lasts for only about 15 minutes.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>
What is the relation between the number of starspots with their surface temperature? Do hotter, more blue stars get them more or less? Or is it not related at all?
Very interesting question. I don't know the answer, but whatever the science may say, it would be difficult to prove it without being able to image the surfaces of stars other than our Sun in much more detail that is currently possible. Simulations would still be possible though, and could be revealing.
maybe comet-like features in planetary nebulas are related to coils that were in the convection area that got blown off and maybe the spots are just the coils in the convection area that surfaced and have not sink again yet

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18174
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA
Contact:

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by Chris Peterson » Wed May 17, 2023 3:49 pm

VictorBorun wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:44 pm
johnnydeep wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:35 pm
Rauf wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 10:58 am

What is the relation between the number of starspots with their surface temperature? Do hotter, more blue stars get them more or less? Or is it not related at all?
Very interesting question. I don't know the answer, but whatever the science may say, it would be difficult to prove it without being able to image the surfaces of stars other than our Sun in much more detail that is currently possible. Simulations would still be possible though, and could be revealing.
maybe comet-like features in planetary nebulas are related to coils that were in the convection area that got blown off and maybe the spots are just the coils in the convection area that surfaced and have not sink again yet
I doubt there is any structure in planetary nebulas related to any stellar structures. I think they are too much of big mixers, and any such thing would rapidly be lost to chaotic motion.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by orin stepanek » Wed May 17, 2023 5:57 pm

SunSpotBridge_Johnston_960.jpg
The granules remind me of shelled corn! :mrgreen:
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
Fred the Cat
Theoretic Apothekitty
Posts: 966
Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2016 4:09 pm
AKA: Ron
Location: Eagle, Idaho

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by Fred the Cat » Wed May 17, 2023 11:40 pm

Makes me wonder what would a solar granule look like if viewed horizontally. :?:

Flat with ripples? :-|
Freddy's Felicity "Only ascertain as a cat box survivor"

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13416
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by Ann » Thu May 18, 2023 3:35 am

Fred the Cat wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 11:40 pm Makes me wonder what would a solar granule look like if viewed horizontally. :?:

Flat with ripples? :-|
Wow, Fred, your first link leads to a fantastic video of solar granulation! :D

Ann
Color Commentator

User avatar
Rauf
Science Officer
Posts: 195
Joined: Tue Oct 09, 2018 3:47 pm

Re: APOD: Sunspot with Light Bridge (2023 May 17)

Post by Rauf » Thu May 18, 2023 11:37 am

johnnydeep wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 3:35 pm
Rauf wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 10:58 am
APOD Robot wrote: Wed May 17, 2023 4:08 am Image Sunspot with Light Bridge

Explanation: Why would a small part of the Sun appear slightly dark? Visible is a close-up picture of sunspots, depressions on the Sun's surface that are slightly cooler and less bright than the rest of the Sun. The Sun's complex magnetic field creates these cool regions by inhibiting hot material from entering the spots. Sunspots can be larger than the Earth and typically last for about a week. Part of active region AR 3297 crossing the Sun in early May, the large lower sunspot is spanned by an impressive light bridge of hot and suspended solar gas. This high-resolution picture also shows clearly that the Sun's surface is a bubbling carpet of separate cells of hot gas. These cells are known as granules. A solar granule is about 1000 kilometers across and lasts for only about 15 minutes.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>
What is the relation between the number of starspots with their surface temperature? Do hotter, more blue stars get them more or less? Or is it not related at all?
Very interesting question. I don't know the answer, but whatever the science may say, it would be difficult to prove it without being able to image the surfaces of stars other than our Sun in much more detail that is currently possible. Simulations would still be possible though, and could be revealing.
I couldn't find a good answer in web as well. Many mysteries are left to be solved :ssmile:

Post Reply