“Fire Rain” Observed on the Sun‘s Surface
A rare phenomenon resembling rainfall has been captured on video on the sun,but rather of water,it’s glowing clumps of plasma descending back to the star’s surface. The footage, initially shared by the @fasc1nate account on platform X, quickly went viral, captivating scientists and space enthusiasts alike.
This “rain,” known as coronal rain, occurs in the Sun’s corona – its outermost atmospheric layer. Superheated gas that rapidly cools collects along magnetic field lines before falling back towards the Sun’s surface, typically following a significant energy release like a solar flare. While gravity pulls the plasma downwards, its descent isn’t a straight line; instead, it follows the curves of the magnetic field, creating glowing arcs across the solar sky, and can travel at speeds up to 200,000 kilometers per hour.
unlike Earth’s water cycle, coronal rain isn’t driven by evaporation. It’s a result of the sudden cooling of intensely hot material ejected during solar flares. Research from the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii at manoa suggests changes in elements like iron within the corona can accelerate the formation of this rain following large energy bursts.
“The rain and the waterfalls on the sun are indeed extraordinary, although I do not recommend walking there in the near future,” joked Eamon Scullion, a Solar physicist from Trinity College Dublin, in a statement to Green Matters.
Understanding coronal rain is crucial for scientists studying “space weather” – the Sun’s influence on Earth’s communication systems and, potentially, life itself. The research aims to illuminate the mechanisms driving the Sun’s dynamic weather patterns and their potential impact on our planet.