Sunspot (IMAGE)
Caption
A sunspot located towards the edge of the Sun, visible here as a dark collection of plasma with magnetic field strengths similar to those found in modern hospital MRI machines. However, it is the size of the sunspot, which is comparable to that of our own Earth (see the scale Earth depicted in the upper-right corner), that gives these structures immense power and energy. Extending upwards from the highly magnetic sunspot are field lines that can guide and direct dynamic motions from within the Sun's deepest layers. The recent work published in Nature Physics reveals first-time evidence for how a rare breed of magnetic waves, guided upwards from the surface of the Sun, can form shockwaves that heat the surrounding plasma by thousands of degrees.
Credit
Emma Gallagher
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