A stunning image simultaneously shows a massive plasma eruption and a solar tornado roaring on the sun

 

A researcher has obtained a stunning photograph of a large plasma eruption and a giant solar tornado that were both raging on the sun's surface at the same moment.

Both solar occurrences are caused by disruptions in the sun's invisible magnetic field, with some plasma being ejected in a towering eruption known as an eruptive prominence and some being driven into a tornado shape, despite the fact that they are unconnected.

On Wednesday, August 20, Maximilian Teodorescu, a researcher at the Institute of Space Science in Romania, recorded both incidents occurring at the same time. Large solar tornadoes are extremely uncommon, and he has never witnessed one occur simultaneously with an eruptive prominence, he told Live Science.

Astronomers worldwide have been keeping an eye on the tornado on the sun's surface this week, according to Spaceweather.com, with the first pictures appearing on Sunday, August 17. Although solar tornadoes resemble tornadoes on Earth, they differ greatly in other aspects, especially in magnitude.

"[The solar tornado is] about 130,000 kilometers [80,000 miles] high," Teodorescu stated. "Basically a tenth of the diameter of the sun."

To put that into perspective, Earth is around 7,926 miles (12,756 km) wide, so this tornado is a little taller than 10 Earths stacked on top of each other. Solar tornadoes are typically around 15,500 to 62,000 miles (25,000 to 100,000 km) tall, so this one is a whopper.

Teodorescu estimated that the eruptive prominence was around 124,000 miles (200,000 km) wide. That's roughly similar in size to a giant solar prominence observed in July, which was estimated at more than 100,000 miles (165,000 km) across and nicknamed "The Beast."

On Monday, August 18, Teodorescu first saw the solar tornado on the website of the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG). Amateurs and experts can keep up with solar activity thanks to GONG, which is run by the National Solar Observatory and consists of six identical solar telescopes that track the sun in nearly real time from various nations worldwide.

In order to take pictures of the tornado, Teodorescu's wife, Eliza Teodorescu, a fellow researcher at the Institute of Space Science, assisted him in lining up the field of view of a telescope with the tornado. Then the eruptive prominence appeared, and he was able to snap both simultaneously.

Solar tornadoes are composed of ionized gas (plasma) that is rooted in place, whereas tornadoes on Earth are whipped up by strong winds and move around. Although regular prominences are likewise held in place by magnetic fields, they are officially known as tornado prominences.

According to NASA, prominences extend into the star's outer atmosphere, or corona, and are connected to the sun's photosphere, or visible surface. When the magnetic field containing the plasma becomes unstable and explodes outward, an eruptive prominence happens. (During last year's complete solar eclipse on April 8, fortunate skywatchers had the opportunity to witness prominences exploding in real time.)

Frequently, a prominence's released plasma then shoots into space as a coronal mass ejection (CME). In addition to disrupting our satellites and communication systems, this kind of solar storm has the ability to collide with Earth's magnetic field and produce auroras.

The eruptive prominence he photographed emitted a CME, according to Maximilian Teodorescu. However, it is not on its way to us, so there won't be any disturbances or displays of the northern lights, he said. However, due to additional solar activity, Earth is currently being buffeted by solar winds, which means that tonight, auroras may be visible at high latitudes, according to Space.com, a sister site of Live Science.

Solar maximum, when the star's magnetic field weakens and reverses, is the sun's most energetic phase of its about 11-year solar cycle. According to Maximilian Teodorescu, if a small telescope is properly fitted with a solar filter, it may see a lot of solar activity.

"It's the most dynamic thing you can actually see as both [an] amateur and a professional in the sky," he stated.