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solar physics

Latest Articles

explainers

How Scientists Are Tackling the Tricky Task of Solar Cycle Prediction

By Javier Barbuzano
September 7, 2023
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Scientists have struggled to accurately forecast the strength of the sun’s 11-year cycle — even after centuries of solar observations.

solar physics

The Tiny Physics Behind Immense Cosmic Eruptions

By Zack Savitsky
May 15, 2023
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A new theory describes how particle interactions fuel fast magnetic reconnection, the process behind solar flares and other astrophysical jets.

A video of the sun showing the eruption of a solar flare.
solar physics

Tiny Jets on the Sun Power the Colossal Solar Wind

By Theo Nicitopoulos
April 24, 2023
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A new analysis argues that ubiquitous eruptions in the sun’s corona explain the vast flow of charged particles seen streaming out through the solar system.

A drawing of cosmic rays approaching the sun and the sun emitting gamma rays.
astrophysics

Strange Solar Gamma Rays Discovered at Even Higher Energies

By Katie McCormick
February 27, 2023
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There appear to be too many gamma rays coming from the sun. New higher-energy measurements reveal that this excess continues for a bit, then disappears — a cutoff that could help clarify what’s going on.

Abstractions blog

Sun’s Puzzling Plasma Recreated in a Laboratory

By Erika K. Carlson
July 29, 2019
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For the first time, researchers have created a scale model of the twisting loops of the sun’s magnetic field.

Art for "The Sun Is Stranger Than Astrophysicists Imagined"
astrophysics

The Sun Is Stranger Than Astrophysicists Imagined

By Natalie Wolchover
May 1, 2019
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The sun radiates far more high-frequency light than expected, raising questions about unknown features of the sun’s magnetic field and the possibility of even more exotic physics.

Art for "Planets Found to Be Larger Than the Disks They Come From"
astrophysics

Planets Found to Be Larger Than the Disks They Come From

By Rebecca Boyle
October 4, 2018
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The new finding is challenging established theories of how planets come to be.

Photo of the sun
Abstractions blog

What Is the Sun Made Of and When Will It Die?

By Natalie Wolchover
July 5, 2018
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If and when physicists are able to pin down the metal content of the sun, that number could upend much of what we thought we knew about the evolution and life span of stars.

Jay Pasachoff
Q&A

Eclipse Hunter Reveals the Science That Can Only Be Done in the Dark

By Dan Falk
August 10, 2017
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Even in the age of sun-observing satellites, astronomers like Jay Pasachoff still seek out total solar eclipses for the tales they can tell about our sun.

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