Listening to the sun may improve space weather forecasts
Friday, August 19, 2011 - 18:00
in Astronomy & Space
Scientists at Stanford University find they can predict sunspots up to two days before they appear, which could help better foretell solar flares. Sunspots, those dark regions on the surface of the sun whose high magnetic activity has ripple effects for Earthlings, seem to emerge and fade without warning. But now, by listening to the sounds the sun makes, scientists have managed to predict when a sunspot will appear up to two days beforehand.