Monster Explosion on the Sun (1st Feb, 2010)

Duiske

Coronagraphs onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) observed a bright double-ringed coronal mass ejection (CME) billowing over the sun's western limb during the late hours of Feb. 1st. At present, the source of the blast is unknown.



The bright object to the left of the Sun is Venus.

Turtwig

Professor Koestler was right, we are doomed.
*Runs around in panic screaming while flailing arms in the air.*

jimbis

Can this affect us in anyway? or has the chance of that been and gone?
Im not really up to spec on what these are about (reading up on it now though )

lord lucan

Pity the SDO hadn't launched yet,could have yielded some useful information.

http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av021/sdopresskit.pdf

gigawatt

arghhhhh run for the bunker were doomed!!!!!! lol

Luftwaffles

This is actually quite interesting. I think I heard somewhere that solar flares can affect climate change, not 100% on that though.

Kevster

Malty_T wrote: »

Professor Koestler was right, we are doomed.
*Runs around in panic screaming while flailing arms in the air.*

I read that as 'Professor Kevster' and was thinking: What the frig?!

That's one humongous prominence though.

MayoForSam

So when do the neutrinos start heating up the Earth's core (just saw 2012 the other day)?

Seriously though, after such a quiet period with hardly any sun-spots over the past few months, this is quite an unusual occurrence, no?

Or maybe our sun observatories (e.g. SOHO) are picking up a lot more CME's than they used to?

Duiske

Was just having a look over the past weeks Sunspot positions, and that CME seems to be coming from an area roughly where old sunspot 1041 should be now. It had degraded to virtually nothing when it went from view a few days back. Maybe its sparking to life again ?

MayoForSam wrote: »

Or maybe our sun observatories (e.g. SOHO) are picking up a lot more CME's than they used to?

There was one seen by SOHO just after the Sept 11 attacks which was larger than this one, and was more directed towards Earth. Seemingly the auroras were amazing a few days later, but were not given any attention due to what was happening at the time.

This is the clip from back then. Just at the end of the clip you can see the protons/neutrons hitting SOHO.

ynotdu

Sun/sunspot activity does not in general affect anything on Earth except the Satellites that relay TV to us mortals!:)
Sky sports could be forced off air!:eek:

Seriously though this event seems to be way beyond the Suns usual activity(ten years on average for a flare or increased sunspot activity) to a large extent.certainly puts Astronauts to possible higher radiation levels than normal.

The Sun is always a variable for Scientists trying to calculate best times for experiments.

Is'nt the certain uncertainty sort of exciting though!:)

Nehaxak

Always in awe of this and the speeds at which the explosions travel outwards, fantastic stuff.

Nehaxak

Also can't help but notice the other objects travelling at speed that are caught on the timelapse.

Turtwig

ynotdu wrote: »

Seriously though this event seems to be way beyond the Suns usual activity(ten years on average for a flare or increased sunspot activity) to a large extent.certainly puts Astronauts to possible higher radiation levels than normal.

The Sun is always a variable for Scientists trying to calculate best times for experiments.

I think it was the sun's way of scaring the sh1t out of NASA. Imagine being days away from launching a new solar observatory only to have the sun in an inactive boring phase where little or no meaningful observations can be made.
At least now they can start looking forward to some interesting data.:)

ynotdu

Malty_T wrote: »

I think it was the sun's way of scaring the sh1t out of NASA. Imagine being days away from launching a new solar observatory only to have the sun in an inactive boring phase where little or no meaningful observations can be made.
At least now they can start looking forward to some interesting data.:)

Lol Malty,lets face it NASA needed and deserved a break after the week they have had!:)
the latest Solar observatry due for launch on Tuesday,lets hope it goes well,as things stand they would proably be happy to launch a firework!:).
typing this from My bunker to avoid the radiation!:eek:

ynotdu

just a picture i found that i liked of a previous Solar flare.
WooHooo says the Sun,dont make Me angry You would'nt like me when i'm angry!



I will now go and worship it,its scary

DigiGal

The sun is coming to the end of its cycle so its possible its sparking into life as it comes nearer....was watching a Michio Kaku report on a possible huge solar flare coming up in 2011/12 which could knock out our satelittes etc...
better start stocking up on books lol

ynotdu

DigiGal wrote: »

The sun is coming to the end of its cycle so its possible its sparking into life as it comes nearer....was watching a Michio Kaku report on a possible huge solar flare coming up in 2011/12 which could knock out our satelittes etc...
better start stocking up on books lol

Hi.ya Digigal since the end of the world is now nigh any chance you will change your mind about us meeting up????:),i will even roleplay and pretend to be Your SON Sun :pac::pac::)

You are right though best read the books we own now so we can burn them in My [EMAIL="bunker@Farenheit"]bunker@Farenheit[/EMAIL] 511:(

If the 2012 theory is true We may as well just start a Global Party right now!:)

Yayyyyyy lets go for it!!!!!!!

Duiske

A really nice sequence of shots from SOHO taken earlier today. Shows a CME, a comet heading for collision with the sun and the planet Mercury to the bottom right of the sun,

Beeker

Duiske wrote: »

A really nice sequence of shots from SOHO taken earlier today. Shows a CME, a comet heading for collision with the sun and the planet Mercury to the bottom right of the sun,

Beautiful sequence!

dream brother

In the above image; what is the long dark blue line?

Duiske

A massive CME recorded by NASA's Stereo Ahead, about 3am this morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7nwkQ5qkAc