Solar scientists use my data in very different ways to study a solar event. Here is an example of the X1.6-class solar flare from September 10, 2014. There are two frames side-by-side. On the left side you have the three wavelength composite (red, green and blue colors. Basically, the red layer is 211 Å (hotter), the green layer is 193 Å (medium) and the blue layer is 171 Å (cooler). The right frame shows whats changing. - If its white, then all three wavelengths got brighter. - If its black, all three wavelengths got darker. - If its red-tinted, it means that the hotter wavelength (211 Å - red layer) got brighter, but the other two wavelengths didnt get brighter, so whats changing is the hotter material. - If its blue-tinted, it means that the cooler wavelength (171 Å - blue layer) got brighter but the hotter parts didnt, so whats changing is the cooler material. Being able to study what a solar event in this detail helps scientists understanding the workings of our Star. BTW - there are already reports of Northern Light sightings in the southern parts of Canada and northern areas of the United States. Have you seen any? Credit: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (Little SDO) / Dr. Barbara Thompson
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 05:11:23 +0000
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