Key findings about the Sun's magnetic field
- The Sun's magnetic field affects the movement of plasma on the Sun's surface, but it does not actually affect the amount of heat emitted by the Sun.
- Solar flares, for example, are huge explosions that occur when the Sun's magnetic fields bind together. The largest of these, called X-class flares, can cause global radio blackouts.
- The Sun's magnetic field is constantly moving and changing and, in fact, is never the same.
The Sun is a highly magnetic star with lines of magnetic energy spinning in all directions. And unlike the Earth, which is surrounded by a magnetic field, which is much simpler because it can move north and south, the Sun's magnetic fields are complex, shooting back and forth and causing everything from sunspots to solar storms and solar flares, according to NASA.
What is the Sun's magnetic field?
The Sun is a magnetic star with many magnetic fields. His magnetism generated due to very hot plasma.
It is not solid, but is made of gas and hot plasma, which is part of the reason it and the gaseous planets are so magnetic. This is why Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are so magnetized, although to a lesser extent than the Sun, and their fields arise from the conducting fluids within.
When these charged particles create movement, they also create a magnetic field. Some of its magnetism comes from the Sun, and some returns back to the star.
“The ions and electrons move around and as they do, they create a magnetic field,” says Holly Gilbert, interim associate director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
Read more: A growing weak spot in Earth's magnetic field could short-circuit more satellites
How the Sun's Magnetic Fields Create Solar Flares
The Sun's magnetic field does affect the movement of plasma on the Sun's surface, but it does not actually affect the amount of heat emitted by the Sun. However, the Sun's magnetism influences solar activity in the Solar System in several ways.
Magnetism is so fundamental to the Sun that it doesn't just influence the Sun; it affects the solar system in many ways. Solar flaresFor example, according to the ESA, these are huge explosions that occur when the Sun's magnetic fields bind together. The largest of these, called X-class flares, can cause global radio blackouts. Additionally, according to NASA, sunspots are dark spots on the surface of the Sun.
“Sunspots are really just a bunch of very intense magnetic fields sticking out from the surface of the sun,” says Gilbert.
And although sunspots appear very dark, they are not devoid of light. If you move the sunspot away from the sun, it will be as bright as the full moon, she adds.
The Sun's magnetic field is constantly moving and changing and, in fact, is never the same. Right now everything is active because every 11 years the Sun becomes so enmeshed in magnetism that it reaches what is called “solar maximum.” Scientists don't know why this happens every 11 years, but they know it happens.
“That's when we see the most sunspots and solar storms, and that's because of the complexity of the magnetic field,” Gilbert says.
But at the other end of the spectrum is the “solar minimum,” when magnetic fields are less confusing and become simpler.
Impact of magnetic field
Auroras on Earth are also caused by solar wind particles, which are influenced by the sun's magnetism as solar particles interact with sunlight. Earth's magnetic field They can cause collisions with gases such as oxygen and nitrogen, which appear as bright lights, according to NOAA. They cause the northern and southern lights.
Jupiter and Saturn have similar auroras for the same reasons. In 2016, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope captured stunning images of Jupiter's aurora, whose north pole was illuminated in blue and green colors after being color-coded.
After all, it's all about the solar dynamo, the constant rotation inside the Sun. “When they get entangled, a lot of magnetism is retained, which can lead to the release of solar energy,” says Gilbert.
Read more: Earth particles hitchhike to the Moon along Earth's magnetic field lines
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