For thousands of years, people have watched the vibrant auroras dance across the night sky. But these magnificent displays are more than just a pretty sight. They are a warning sign of a hidden danger: geomagnetically induced currents. Auroras are caused by particles from the sun hitting the Earth’s magnetic field. These forces can compress … Read more
This article was originally published on The conversation. The publication contributed the article to Space.com Expert Voices: Opinion Pieces and Insights. Alan Cooper is a professor at Charles Sturt University Pavle Arsenovic is a senior scientist at the University of Natural Resources and Life Science (BOKU). The remarkable aurora borealis in early May this year … Read more
Lead author Kushal Rijal (right) and Neno Fuller (left) performed the TR-TPPE measurement using the ultrahigh-power vacuum photoemission spectroscopy system shown in the image. Credit: Kushal and Fuller Solar energy is crucial to a clean energy future. Traditionally, solar energy has been harvested using silicon, the same semiconductor material used in everyday electronic devices. But … Read more
Since the dawn of the Space Age, the inner planets and the Earth-Moon system have gotten the lion’s share of attention. That makes sense; it’s a lot easier to get to the Moon, or even Mars, than it is to Saturn or Neptune. So our probes have mostly ventured into the relatively comfortable confines of … Read more
Like the number of sunspots, the occurrence of solar flares follows the solar cycle of approximately 11 years. But as the current Solar cycle 25 is approaching its peak, what is the number solar flares compared to the previous, smaller solar cycle 24? Due to a change in flare calibration levels starting in 2020, you … Read more
A exoplanet What was identified in 2017 as one of the most promising locations for life outside the solar system has now become even more promising – and a lot weirder. The alien world Evidence suggests that LHS-1140b is an “eyeball” planet, with a global ocean covered in ice and a single, iris-shaped region about … Read more
Roberto Molar Candanosa/Johns Hopkins University An illustration shows exoplanet HD 189733b, a gas giant 64 light-years away. Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific developments and more. CNN — A Jupiter-sized exoplanet has long intrigued astronomers for its scorching temperatures, howling winds, and sideways rain … Read more
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has successfully completed its 20th approach to the Sun, marking a major milestone in its mission to study the Sun’s corona. This remarkable achievement underscores the probe’s robust design and the meticulous planning that went into its journey to unravel the secrets of the Sun’s outer atmosphere. Launched in 2018, the … Read more
Recent studies have highlighted the catastrophic effects of extreme solar eruptions, especially when combined with a weakened magnetic field. These phenomena, which occur about once every thousand years, can significantly disrupt the Earth’s ozone layer, with serious consequences for all life on our planet. The protective role of the Earth’s magnetic field The Earth’s magnetic … Read more
The remarkable aurora borealis in early May this year showed just how powerful solar flares can be in the form of radiation. But every now and then the sun does something even more devastating. These proton explosions, known as “solar particle events,” come directly from the sun’s surface and can shoot out into space like … Read more