The sun just gave us a reminder of its immense might. Our star unleashed an X-class solar flare today (Dec. 14), blasting out an immense pulse of high-energy radiation that was captured on video by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft. (Solar physicists classify strong flares into three categories, with C being the weakest, M the middling group and X the most potent.) The outburst, which occurred at 12:02 p.m. EST (1702 GMT), registered as an X2.8, making it the most powerful solar flare since September 2017, according to SpaceWeather.com. Related:…
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Solar storms could affect train safety by glitching railroad signals
Safer train travel requires tracking solar storms, a new study urges. Powerful eruptions from the sun could cause accidents during peak train-travel times by interfering with electrical signaling stations, potentially switching railroad indicators from red (stop) to green (go), according to the research. “This is obviously very significant from a safety perspective,” study lead author Cameron Patterson, a physics researcher at Lancaster University in England, said in a statement on Monday (Dec. 11). “We found that space weather events, capable of triggering faults in these track circuits, are expected in…
Read MoreIndia’s Aditya-L1 solar observatory captures 1st gorgeous views of the sun (images)
An instrument onboard India’s first sun-studying observatory has officially opened its scientific eyes and sent home beautiful images of our star. The pictures, captured earlier this week by a payload named SUIT (short for Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope), reveal a handful of features on the sun’s surface, including a few sunspots, a solar “plage” and some silent, inactive areas. It is a “lifetime opportunity to conceive a space telescope & get to see its first light observations,” Durgesh Tripathi, SUIT’s principal investigator, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter)…
Read MoreCalling all Eclipse Enthusiasts: Become a NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador!
2 min read Calling all Eclipse Enthusiasts: Become a NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador! By Vivian White, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Eclipse Ambassadors help share information with their communities about how to safely observe the Sun, such as using handheld solar viewers. Los Angeles Astronomical Society/Iraneide De Oliveira Are you an astronomy enthusiast or undergraduate student with a passion for sharing space science? We are excited to share with you a wonderful opportunity to become an official NASA Partner Eclipse Ambassador and help your community experience the awe and wonder…
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