Magnetic 'ropes' tie down solar eruptions
Monday, April 26, 2010 - 14:31
in Astronomy & Space
Over the last century, astronomers have become very aware of how just dynamic the Sun really is. One of the most dramatic manifestations of this is a coronal mass ejection (CME) where billions of tons of matter is thrown into space. If a CME reaches the Earth it creates inclement ‘space weather’ that can disrupt communications, power grids and the delicate systems on orbiting satellites. This potential damage means there is a keen interest in understanding exactly what triggers a CME outburst. Now researchers have used data from the Hinode spacecraft, revealing new details of the formation of an immense magnetic structure that erupted to produce a CME on the 7th December 2007.