Skip to main content

Scientists image the progression of a solar flare for the first time

 

We know that our sun is a busy, active star that occasionally flashes brighter than usual in electromagnetic eruptions called solar flares. Scientists also know that such flares tend to happen near to sunspots and that they seem to be associated with the movement of plasma. But there’s still much we don’t understand about the formation of flares, and in particular how to predict them, which is important for predicting space weather.

Recommended Videos

To learn more about flares, researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) have trained the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA) radio telescope on the sun to capture flare activity since 2017. Now, they have released data on the first-ever flare captured moment by moment, pinpointing the exact time and place the flare burst out of the sun’s surface with the energy equivalent to 1 billion degrees Fahrenheit.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“We have been able to pinpoint the most critical location of the magnetic energy release in the corona,” Gregory Fleishman, professor of physics in NJIT’s Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, said in a statement. “These are the first images that capture the microphysics of a flare — the detailed chain of processes that occur on small spatial and time scales that enable the energy conversion.”

Image of a solar flare.
Image of a solar flare. New Jersey Institute of Technology

The research has revealed that flares share processes with other astronomical phenomena like gamma-ray bursts, and are similar to processes seen in research into the generation of fusion energy. As the EOVSA instrument is able to capture images in the optical, ultraviolet, X-ray, and radio wavelengths, it was able to see the way magnetic field lines on the sun gives rise to flares.

“Microwave emission is the only mechanism that is sensitive to the coronal magnetic field environment, so the unique, high-cadence EOVSA microwave spectral observations are the key to enabling this discovery of rapid changes in the magnetic field,” Dale Gary, professor of physics at NJIT and director of EOVSA, said in the statement. “The measurement is possible because the high-energy electrons traveling in the coronal magnetic field dominantly emit their magnetic-sensitive radiation in the microwave range.”

This data helps scientists understand how erupting flares cause shock waves which can damage spacecraft and pose a threat to astronauts. In the future, the EOVSA tool will continue to capture images of the sun for researchers to investigate and will be used to create daily maps of the magnetic fields around the sun.

The findings are published in the journal Science.

Georgina Torbet
Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends space writer for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…
Hyundai Ioniq 5 sets world record for greatest altitude change
hyundai ioniq 5 world record altitude change mk02 detail kv

When the Guinness World Records (GWR) book was launched in 1955, the idea was to compile facts and figures that could finally settle often endless arguments in the U.K.’s many pubs.

It quickly evolved into a yearly compilation of world records, big and small, including last year's largest grilled cheese sandwich in the world.

Read more
Global EV sales expected to rise 30% in 2025, S&P Global says
ev sales up 30 percent 2025 byd sealion 7 1stbanner l

While trade wars, tariffs, and wavering subsidies are very much in the cards for the auto industry in 2025, global sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are still expected to rise substantially next year, according to S&P Global Mobility.

"2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new U.S. administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one," says Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility.

Read more
Faraday Future could unveil lowest-priced EV yet at CES 2025
Faraday Future FF 91

Given existing tariffs and what’s in store from the Trump administration, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global race toward lower electric vehicle (EV) prices will not reach U.S. shores in 2025.

After all, Chinese manufacturers, who sell the least expensive EVs globally, have shelved plans to enter the U.S. market after 100% tariffs were imposed on China-made EVs in September.

Read more