What are the prominences?

Prominences are anchored to the Sun’s surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun’s hot outer atmosphere, called the corona. The prominence plasma flows along a tangled and twisted structure of magnetic fields generated by the sun’s internal dynamo.

What are the dangers of solar flares?

Solar flares strongly influence the local space weather in the vicinity of the Earth. They can produce streams of highly energetic particles in the solar wind known as solar particle events. These particles can impact the Earth’s magnetosphere, and present radiation hazards to spacecraft and astronauts.

What are solar flares made of?

A solar flare contains high energy photons and particles, and is released from the Sun in a relatively short amount of time (a few minutes). Here is a picture of magnetic loop, or prominence on the Sun.

What is the meaning solar flare?

A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation coming from the release of magnetic energy associated with sunspots. Flares are our solar system’s largest explosive events. Flares are also sites where particles (electrons, protons, and heavier particles) are accelerated.

What causes solar prominence?

Prominences are shaped by the Sun’s complex magnetic field, often forming loops with each end “anchored” to the Sun’s surface (photosphere). Prominences are enormous, extending for many thousands of kilometers (miles). Prominences can last for several days – or up to several months!

What are the two types of solar prominences?

There are two basic types of prominences: (1) quiescent, or long-lived, and (2) transient. The former are associated with large-scale magnetic fields, marking the boundaries of unipolar magnetic regions or sunspot groups. Because the large unipolar plates are long-lived, the quiescent prominences are as well.

How long do most solar flares last?

Most flares are quite short really, less than hour. The longest flare that we’ve seen with the Japanese Yohkoh satellite was 12 hours though. Compared to flares on other stars though the Sun is a bit of a wimp – some of those flares are a thousand times more energetic than the Sun and can last up to 10 days!

Why do solar flares happen?

Flares occur when intense magnetic fields on the Sun become too tangled. Like a rubber band that snaps when it is twisted too far, the tangled magnetic fields release energy when they “snap”. Solar flares burst forth from the intense magnetic fields in the vicinity of active regions on the Sun.

What does a solar prominence look like?

Prominences appear either as flame-coloured projections when the disk of the Sun is totally eclipsed or as dark ribbons (called filaments) when viewed through a spectroscope. Prominences are among the most beautiful of solar phenomena.