Does the solar magnetic field show a North-South divide?

Does the solar magnetic field show a North-South divide?

A study of jets travelling through the Sun’s corona at speeds between 200-500 km/s has shown that the fast-moving columns of plasma are deflected much more strongly by the Sun’s magnetic field in the northern hemisphere than in the southern hemisphere. A nor

The mystery of solar nanoflares

The mystery of solar nanoflares

Nanoflares are eruptions on the Sun which are billion times less energetic than ordinary flares but still have the power that belies their name. They appear as little brightenings of the solar surface at extreme ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths and they might solve a l

Earth-facing side of the sun without visible sunspots

Earth-facing side of the sun without visible sunspots

Images taken by Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) on July 17, 2014 show no active sunspots on the visible solar disk. To be correct, tiny decaying AR 2113 is still visible, but its size remains so small that the plots and charts didn't registered it. SDO's

STEREO probes operations will be curtailed for more than a year

STEREO probes operations will be curtailed for more than a year

NASA's revolutionary twin STEREO probes which allowed us to see the farside of the Sun and make 3D models of incoming CMEs will pass directly behind the Sun later this year making images from the probes unavailable for quite some time.While planning the

STEREO maps much larger solar atmosphere than previously observed

STEREO maps much larger solar atmosphere than previously observed

Surrounding the sun is a vast atmosphere of solar particles, through which magnetic fields swarm, solar flares erupt, and gigantic columns of material rise, fall and jostle each other around. Now, using NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, scientists have

Solar mini-max

Solar mini-max

NASA and NOAA agree: Solar Max has arrived, but this "mini Max" is not like any other solar maximum of the Space Age.Years ago, in 2008 and 2009 an eerie quiet descended on the sun.  Sunspot counts dropped to historically-low levels and solar flares cease

The best observed X-class flare

The best observed X-class flare

On March 29, 2014 the sun released an X-class flare. It was observed by NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS; NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO; NASA's Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, or RHESSI; the Japanese Aer

Earth directed solar flares possible in the coming days

Earth directed solar flares possible in the coming days

Solar activity was at low levels during last 24 hours, however, that might change today and in the days ahead. Active Region 2036 exhibited rapid growth over the last few days and is now almost directly facing our planet. Earth directed eruption