On September 30, 2024, our Sun surprised many with a huge explosion, known as a solar flare. A probe named the Solar Orbiter was on the scene, capturing valuable data. This information is helping scientists understand how these powerful solar events happen.
Using the Solar Orbiter, researchers found that solar flares kick off from smaller disturbances. Think of it like an avalanche starting from a few small snowflakes. Once it starts, it grows into a significant release of energy, sending blobs of plasma raining down even after the flare has ended. A recent study in Astronomy & Astrophysics highlights these findings.
Solar flares are massive bursts of energy, light, and particles that shoot out into space. They happen when energy from twisted magnetic fields is suddenly unleashed. The strongest flares can interfere with technology on Earth, causing radio blackouts and geomagnetic storms.
Despite years of study, the science community hasn’t fully grasped the mechanics behind these dramatic events until now. The Solar Orbiter provided high-resolution images that show just how this explosive energy release unfolds.
Scientists focused on a dark “filament” with twisted magnetic fields on the Sun. They used the probe’s Extreme Ultraviolet Imager to monitor the area just before the flare. As they watched, new magnetic strands appeared rapidly, creating instability in the region—much like the buildup before an avalanche.
When these strands began to break and reconnect, they set off a chain reaction. Each break led to more energy release, which researchers recorded with stunning clarity. Suddenly, a bright burst marked the moment this energy shot into space, with speeds reaching up to 400 kilometers per second (about 248 miles per second).
Pradeep Chitta, an expert from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, remarked, “We were very fortunate to witness these events in such detail. Such moments are rare due to the limitations of data collection.” This underscores the unique opportunity scientists had to gain insight into solar flares.
Surprisingly, the flare’s severity stemmed from a series of smaller reconnections, spreading like a wave, causing increasingly intense reactions.
Before the major flare erupted, readings from the Solar Orbiter showed a slow increase in emissions from the Sun. During the flare, particles reached amazing speeds of 40 to 50% of light speed. The researchers noticed features moving very quickly within the Sun’s atmosphere, signaling energy shifts even before the main explosion began. Chitta described these as streams of “raining plasma blobs,” growing stronger as the flare intensified.
What’s fascinating is that this “plasma rain” didn’t stop immediately after the flare. Chitta noted that it continued for a while, revealing more about the processes at play.
Miho Janvier, co-project scientist for the Solar Orbiter, pointed out that the study emphasizes the avalanche-like release of magnetic energy during flares. This raises intriguing questions: Does this process occur in all solar flares? What about other stars?
With nearly 1 in 3 Americans feeling the impacts of solar activities on their technology, understanding solar flares has never been more critical. As researchers continue to explore, we might soon unravel more about these celestial mysteries and their effect on Earth and beyond. For an in-depth look at ongoing research, visit ESA’s Solar Orbiter section here.
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Solar flares,Solar Orbiter
