“Fire Rain” Observed on the Sun‘sโ Surface
A rare phenomenon resembling rainfall hasโ been capturedโ on video on the sun,but rather of water,it’s glowingโข clumps ofโข plasma descendingโ back to the star’s surface. The footage, โคinitiallyโค sharedโ by โthe @fasc1nateโข account โฃon platform X,โ quickly went viral, captivating scientists and space enthusiasts alike.
This “rain,” known as coronal โขrain, occurs in โthe Sun’s coronaโข – its outermost atmospheric layer. Superheated gasโ that โฃrapidly cools โฃcollects along magnetic field lines โขbefore falling back โฃtowards the Sun’s surface, typically following a significant energy release like a solar flare. While gravity pulls โthe โplasma downwards, its descent isn’t a straight line; โinstead, โit followsโ the โcurves of the โmagnetic โฃfield, creating glowing โขarcs across the solar sky, and canโข travel at speeds up to 200,000 kilometers per hour.
unlikeโ Earth’s water โcycle, coronal rain isn’t driven byโ evaporation. It’s a result of the sudden cooling ofโข intensely hot material ejected during solar flares. Researchโ from the โขInstitute for Astronomy โฃat โthe University of Hawaii at โขmanoaโ suggests changes โขin elements like iron within the corona can accelerate โฃthe formation โof this rain following large energy bursts.
“The โrain and the waterfalls on the sun are indeed extraordinary, although I do not recommend walking there in the near future,” joked โEamon Scullion, aโ Solarโข physicist from Trinity College Dublin,โ in a statement toโ 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.