Scientists at the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) run by NASA, are studying the travel and the eruption of a giant sun plasma burst of a filament that has been causing much excitement since it has extended so far out into space that it caused the sun’s visible hemisphere to increase by half.
The plasma filament is caused by unstable plasma material from the sun that loops out from it due to interference by magnetic fields. Sometimes, this sun plasma burst will travel out to great distances like in this instance; NASA scientists were tracking its progress before it erupted into a huge sun plasma burst of energy at the end of April.
NASA Instruments Used to Study Sun Plasma Burst
The astronomers from NASA were able to use special instruments to study the sun plasma burst like the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph at SOHO and its C2 and C3 tools. This device is able to take photos of phenomenon with the help of a special occulter disk that creates a synthetic eclipse, allowing scientists to see the corona of the sun, which is normally obstructed by the brightness of the sun itself.
The special NASA instruments were able to record the sun plasma burst from the inner cornea of the sun, which flared out to a distance of about five and a quarter million miles from the sun. The C3 was able to also get an image with a larger field of view, as it can engulf up to 32 diameters of the sun’s surface.
Video Shows Sun Plasma Burst Activity
The team of scientists was also able to record video of the sun plasma burst that showed how the solar filaments travel out from the sun and rise above it as a result of magnetic field fluctuations. This occurs because the plasma filaments are colder than the sun itself, which make them look dark against the sun. Thus, they are easier to see as they travel in bursts and loop back to the sun (or flare out in various ways and sizes). The significance of this latest sun plasma burst is that it is bigger than normal and encompasses millions of kilometers in size. Plus, the scientists recorded more than six hours of the event and then were able to speed it up to witness the entire event in just a few minutes.
Although we may not all be able to travel to space to witness a phenomena like the sun plasma burst, we are able to experience flight, which will some day allow us to all travel where we please:
