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- The sun may be seen ‘smiling’ in a new image from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory.
- The “eyes” and “mouth” on the floor of the sun are coronal holes.
- These holes seem darkish as a result of they’ve a decrease temperature and density than surrounding areas.
NASA released a new satellite image of the sun this week, and it seems to have a large smile on its face.
The picture was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, a program working to grasp the modifications in the Sun’s radiation output.
Sharing the snap on Twitter, @NASASun wrote: “Say cheese! Today, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the Sun “smiling.”
“Seen in ultraviolet gentle, these darkish patches on the Sun are often called coronal holes and are areas the place quick photo voltaic wind gushes out into area.”
—NASA Sun, Space & Scream 🎃 (@NASASun) October 26, 2022
The outer layer of the sun is called the “corona,” and darker areas seen on satellite images are the coronal holes
“They’re areas on the sun the place the magnetic discipline is open to interplanetary area, sending photo voltaic materials dashing out in a high-speed stream of photo voltaic wind,” NASA has previously explained.
They show up as dark spots, or in this case, facial features, because they typically boast lower temperatures and densities than their surroundings, leading to an empty look.
Coronal holes can occur at any time but can’t be seen by the naked eye or a home telescope, they’re only visible in ultraviolet and X-ray light, LiveScience reported.
Twitter users responded to the photo with their own comparisons, some better than others. One user likened the picture to the iconic Teletubbies sun. Another put a Halloween spell on it, turning the sun into a pumpkin.
It’s not all joyful information, although, Spaceweather.com explains that the holes could be a sign that geomagnetic storms could hit Earth’s magnetic field on October 29 or 30.
