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Closest images ever taken of the sun reveal "nanoflares"
The Sun, as its never been seen before.
17 July, 2020
Credit: Solar Orbiter/EUI Team (ESA & NASA); CSL, IAS, MPS, PMOD/WRC, ROB, UCL/MSSL
<ul class="ee-ul"></ul>Looking at the Sun isn't easy. If you do it by yourself, you'll get eye damage. If you do it with highly specialized scientific equipment on Earth, you'll notice the atmosphere getting in the way. For the best results, you have to look from space. This precisely what the European Space Agency did with their <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Solar_Orbiter" target="_blank">Solar Orbiter (SoIO</a>) spacecraft, allowing us to get close-up pictures of the Sun that highlight every blemish and <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-07-close-ups-sun.html" target="_blank">sunspot</a>.
How to take a picture of a giant ball of fire
<p>Situated 77,000,000 kilometers (48,000,000 miles) from Earth, roughly halfway to the Sun, the Solar Orbiter's cameras have taken high-quality images from a closer vantage point than any camera ever. More importantly, they can take pictures in ultraviolet light, which is highly filtered by Earth's atmosphere and challenging to do as well without being in space.</p><p>The images, seen below, are stunning.</p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ2NDIxNi9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMDU3OTUxNn0.aDmY35CKhw-EKWJrdBF_V2JBSzLpqWK-aEUpm_iSYqo/img.png?width=1245&coordinates=0%2C143%2C0%2C283&height=700" id="e24fb" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c327272afb3c95467d6fdbc60548a170" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="orange and black close-up of the sun" />
The arrow points to a "nanoflare" approximately 700 km across.
SOLAR ORBITER/EUI TEAM (ESA & NASA)
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ2NDIzMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNDQ3NDE0Mn0._7JSeIpqB7e9urc2OCu8vZzWkD3ZoCfM5gqRCnFmV4w/img.jpg?width=980" id="4918c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7f1d40ac5ba29423cd26d7514cc1fd51" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
These images show the sun's appearance at a wavelength of 17 nanometers, which is in the extreme ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Images at this wavelength reveal the upper atmosphere of the sun, the corona, with a temperature of around one million degrees. (quoted from https://phys.org/news/2020-07-close-ups-sun.html)
Credit: Solar Orbiter/EUI Team (ESA & NASA); CSL, IAS, MPS, PMOD/WRC, ROB, UCL/MSSL
<p>They also help to answer a few questions about how the Sun works while raising new ones as the mission continues.</p><p> If you look at some of these images, the top image with an arrow stands out; you will notice small white smears. These are nanoflares, also called "campfires." They are 700-kilometer-wide relatives of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_flare" target="_blank">solar flares</a> burning at temperatures of one million degrees, nearly 200 times hotter than the photosphere below them. One hypothesis maintains that a vast number of these could be part of the mechanism that keeps the corona, the Sun's outer atmosphere, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53429054?at_custom4=1D32105A-C765-11EA-9856-76BD923C408C&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_medium=custom7&at_custom2=facebook_page&at_campaign=64&at_custom3=BBC+News&fbclid=IwAR09nv1fIEtQ-hMxKCxJL_rykmR-Av3LAEWAs8Ox-qeHmzUSNrfVrflmf8g&fbclid=IwAR2jsc64umk42bkOicBK9CPW37r9fcBLQz7Eh8rjmZM1_OSHvpCAJqjPux4" target="_blank">hotter than its surface.</a> </p><p>ESA project scientist Daniel Müller explained this notion to the<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53429054?at_custom4=1D32105A-C765-11EA-9856-76BD923C408C&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_medium=custom7&at_custom2=facebook_page&at_campaign=64&at_custom3=BBC+News&fbclid=IwAR09nv1fIEtQ-hMxKCxJL_rykmR-Av3LAEWAs8Ox-qeHmzUSNrfVrflmf8g&fbclid=IwAR2jsc64umk42bkOicBK9CPW37r9fcBLQz7Eh8rjmZM1_OSHvpCAJqjPux4" target="_blank"> BBC</a>:</p><p>"The Sun has a relatively cool surface of about 5,500 degrees and is surrounded by a super-hot atmosphere of more than a million degrees. [...]There's a theory put forward by the great US physicist Eugene Parker, who conjectured that if you should have a vast number of tiny flares this might account for an omnipresent heating mechanism that could make the corona hot."<br> <br> While larger nanoflares can be seen from Earth, the images this spacecraft provided suggest they can be smaller than previously known and arise more frequently than <a href="https://www.wfmj.com/story/42377044/spacecraft-snaps-closest-pictures-of-sun-campfires-abound" target="_blank">supposed</a>. At this moment, scientists aren't sure why they exist or what mechanisms they interact with. </p><p>All of these images are from tests to see how the equipment operates in outer <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-07-close-ups-sun.html" target="_blank">space</a>. The probe's primary mission will take place when it reaches a point a mere 48,000,000 kilometers from the Sun. Those future pictures and data will be all the more impressive, as the Sun is currently moving out of a quiet phase and will be more active. </p><p>However, it'll take two years to get into position, so we have plenty of time to get acquainted with the images it has already shared.</p>
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Ask an astronomer: What makes neutron stars so special?
Astrophysicist Michelle Thaller talks ISS and why NICER is so important.
03 June, 2020
- Being outside of Earth's atmosphere while also being able to look down on the planet is both a challenge and a unique benefit for astronauts conducting important and innovative experiments aboard the International Space Station.
- NASA astrophysicist Michelle Thaller explains why one such project, known as NICER (Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer), is "one of the most amazing discoveries of the last year."
- Researchers used x-ray light data from NICER to map the surface of neutrons (the spinning remnants of dead stars 10-50 times the mass of our sun). Thaller explains how this data can be used to create a clock more accurate than any on Earth, as well as a GPS device that can be used anywhere in the galaxy.
- Astronaut Garrett Reisman took in countless indescribably beautiful views while he lived in space. But most shocking, he says, was observing the thinness of Earth's atmosphere.
- You can compare the thickness of the atmosphere to the diameter of Earth to the skin on an apple, or the shell of an egg. It's incredibly thin and shows just how seemingly fragile our planet is.
- But to put this into perspective, whereas the atmosphere reaches a height of 300,000 feet from Earth's surface, the deepest part of the ocean only reaches 35,000 feet, ten times thinner than Earth's atmosphere. Everything we experience on Earth, from sea to sky, exists on just a tiny slice of precious surface coating.
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Space exploration is the ultimate plan B. Here’s why.
Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? Because they didn't have a space program.
02 May, 2020
- Space exploration is more than just the ultimate adventure, our study and investigation of space yields great scientific rewards, says astronaut Garrett Reisman.
- Earth is wonderful, but it won't last forever, so it's important that we maintain a big picture view to ensure the survival of the human species.
- Exploring space is our ticket to "the ultimate plan B," according to Reisman. If there were to occur a mass extinction event on Earth, the humans that inhabit another planet in our solar system will be the only hope of human survival.
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NASA reveals plans for a base camp near the Moon's south pole
The space agency is ready to establish a base camp by 2024.
06 April, 2020
Photo by Megan Jelinger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
- NASA's Artemis program plans on establishing a base camp on the Moon as soon as 2024.
- After testing technologies and securing resources on the surface of the Moon, NASA plans on exploring Mars.
- A number of robotic missions will first establish the Gateway, the flight path between Earth and the Moon's south pole.
<p>LinkedIn editors recently compiled an <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heres-whos-hiring-right-now-andrew-seaman/" target="_blank">extensive round-up</a> of companies hiring during the coronavirus pandemic. The list includes Instacart bringing in 300,000 contract workers, Walmart adding 150,000 workers in its distribution and fulfillment centers, and Lowe's seeking an additional 30,000 employees to fill current demand. Nearly all jobs on offer deal with supply chain management in some capacity. At the very end of the list is an outlier:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"SpaceX is hiring an unknown number of workers as it looks to ramp up production of its Starships."</p><p>While American corporations scramble to keep supplies moving (as well as <a href="https://www.politico.com/interactives/2020/coronavirus-impact-on-low-income-jobs-by-occupation-chart/" target="_blank">potentially endangering</a> workers accepting those jobs), Elon Musk is looking for an escape plan. Then again, the dream of inhabiting other planets and traveling to distant universes seems baked into the human imagination.</p><p>Musk isn't the only one dreaming of a galaxy far, far away. <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/" target="_blank">NASA's Artemis program</a>, with the more humble goal of developing a consistent presence on the Earth's moon, is full steam—er, solar electric propulsion—ahead with its plan of <a href="https://www.space.com/nasa-plans-artemis-moon-base-beyond-2024.html" target="_blank">setting up camp by 2024</a>. The agency hopes to land the first woman on the Moon's surface that year, with the goal of "sustainable exploration" by 2028. </p><p>This news comes in the wake of a new 13-page report, "<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/a_sustained_lunar_presence_nspc_report4220final.pdf" target="_blank">NASA's Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development</a>." NASA believes that in the coming decades, the Moon will "be a source of new scientific advances and economic growth." Once camp is established there, the agency hopes to use the Moon as a launch pad for the next stage in space exploration. </p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjkxNDMxOS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5NzI0MDUwOX0.PhEN6Tven4RVKEscbN2kRXlsd_jNBhgxifdCmTVSqJ8/img.png?width=980" id="33e0c" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="44653b874d1f30e81ff6ac2a16de4d3f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>As NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-outlines-lunar-surface-sustainability-concept" target="_blank">commented</a> on April 2:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"After 20 years of continuously living in low-Earth orbit, we're now ready for the next great challenge of space exploration – the development of a sustained presence on and around the Moon. For years to come, Artemis will serve as our North Star as we continue to work toward even greater exploration of the Moon, where we will demonstrate key elements needed for the first human mission to Mars."</p><p>The astronauts will face many hurdles trying to establish a camp near the Moon's south pole, such as radiation shielding, lunar dust, and extremely cold, long lunar nights. Once in place, these brave voyagers will test out new mobility technologies to help prepare humans for the next leap to Mars. </p><p>The report expresses interest in the development of relationships with private industry as well. While international partners are cited, there is an emphasis of America remaining at the forefront of space exploration:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"As other nations steadily increase their presence and spending, American leadership is now called for to lead the next phase of humanity's quest to create a future comprised of endless discovery and growth in the final frontier."</p><p>NASA goes so far to dub this the "Artemis Generation." The agency puts forward a three-domain exploration strategy to coincide with the timeline of this generation. The first is low-Earth orbit, which it wants to open up to commercial operations and for testing new technologies; the second is the Moon, with the goal of long-term robotic explorations "with robust commercial and international partnerships"; and finally, Mars, which by reading over the document amounts to the grand goal of stating, "America was here first."</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjkxNDMyMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNTg4MTY5OH0.Hvs7m_tUc5HlJqii4eI4tcO9EH0XfL9Pssc4IufUXf0/img.png?width=980" id="4ab2f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bdd0ac6390301fcd5705cc898d7f2e85" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Kicking off this project in 2023 with robots, NASA's ambitions include opening up "terrestrial robotic mining systems and next-generation power storage." The robots will hunt for oxygen and water, or, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/a_sustained_lunar_presence_nspc_report4220final.pdf" target="_blank">as they frame it</a>, "extraction of usable resources." The more humans have at the ready, the easier the transition will be. The agency also believes that by intensively researching the Moon we will better understand the evolution of our own planet.</p><p>The first step is the development of the Gateway, the space travel path between Earth and the Moon. This requires numerous robot missions that establish a landing system in order to create a stable pathway for future astronauts to travel. There is political motive here as well: "The Gateway will establish U.S. leadership and a sustained presence in the region between the Moon and Earth."</p><p>Thus far, Canada, Japan, and the European Space Agency have signed on as partners in the development of the Gateway. Russia has expressed interest in contributing an airlock. High priority items include a better understanding of heliophysics, radiation, and space weather. As the initial missions establish these conditions, the plan is to begin launching humans in four years' time. </p><p>Upon establishing the Artemis Base Camp at the south pole, astronauts will spend from one to two months in order to "develop new technologies that advance our national industries and discover new resources that will help grow our economy."</p><p>Though Mars (and beyond) is the long-term goal, the maximization of revenue seems to be the primary driver of this mission. Indefinite exploration of the Moon is in the plan, with the potential for commercial space travel. Besides, as NASA concludes, the moon is only "a relatively manageable 250,000 miles" away. </p><p>And yes, in case you were wondering, the "search for Martian life" is in there. Away we go.</p><p><span></span>--</p><p><em>Stay in touch with Derek on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. His next book is</em> "Hero's Dose: The Case For Psychedelics in Ritual and Therapy."</p>
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