Visualization that accompanied NASA report showing magnetic reconnection on Sun. (NASA’s Conceptual Image Lab via SWNS)
By Dean Murray
Space scientists have revealed details of a "surprise" explosion on the sun.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has discovered unexpected behavior in how our star blasts energy into the solar system.
During a close flyby, the spacecraft detected a jet of fast-moving particles — protons and heavy ions. However, their behavior differed, with the two kinds of particles accelerating in an unexpected way.
NASA said Wednesday (April 15) it "showed the protons formed a dispersed beam, like that from a flashlight, while the heavier ions were directed in a straight line like a laser beam."
Visualization of NASA's Parker Solar Probe. (NASA via SWNS)
They added: "Before a solar storm races across space and impacts technology on Earth, it starts with an explosive process on the sun known as magnetic reconnection.
"Observations from NASA's Parker Solar Probe have uncovered new details about how these types of magnetic events fling particles to dangerous speeds."
The findings, published in the Astrophysical Journal, will help scientists refine theoretical models of magnetic reconnection to better understand how solar storms are powered.
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