Signs in the Sun: NASA spots a 7,000 mph whirlpool of plasma on the surface of the sun

Signs in the Sun: NASA spots a 7,000 mph whirlpool of plasma on the surface of the sun

A stunning new Nasa image shows an extremely rare pattern streaming from the sun at close to 7,000 miles per hour (11,200 km/h). A dark snake-like filament can be seen erupting from the star, but while the formations are normally stretched out like a strand, this one is circular like a whirlpool. This is because it is being yanked back by the star’s staggering gravitational pull – which is about 27.9 times that of Earth.


The rare sight, captured by Nasa’s orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), has only been seen a ‘handful of times’, the agency said. ‘Solar filaments are clouds of charged particles that float above the sun, tethered to it by magnetic forces,’ Nasa said in a statement. ‘They are usually elongated and uneven strands. Only a handful of times before have we seen one shaped like a circle. MORE

 

ireball Blazes Across Skies Of Arizona and California

Nov 10, 2017 | 0 |

A bright fireball streaked across the sky over Arizona and California at 09:21 UTC (01:21 PST) on November 8, 2017. The event lasted some 3 seconds. The American Meteor Society received 17 reports by 13:00 UTC on November 10.

The fireball was primarily seen from California, but users from Arizona and southern Nevada also reported seeing the event. Just one of the eyewitnesses said he heard a sound associated with the event. At the time of the event, he was located in Buckeye, Arizona. MORE