Part of the Sun breaks abruptly, puzzling scientists
What's the story
The Sun has always been a ubiquitous and vital part of our lives, but a lot about it still baffles us. Now, it has done something peculiar by even Sun's standards. A huge part of our star broke off and created what looks like a tornado-like vortex over the solar north pole. Scientists have been left stunned by the phenomenon.
Vortex
Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the event
The event was observed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Solar Dynamics Observatory and tweeted by Dr. Tamitha Skov, a space weather forecaster. This is nothing to be concerned about though, as the Sun undergoes activity cycles every 11 years or so. It goes from relatively peaceful to absolutely irrepressible during this time. The current event requires further analysis to understand what transpired.
Twitter Post
Sun has shocked us all again
Talk about Polar Vortex! Material from a northern prominence just broke away from the main filament & is now circulating in a massive polar vortex around the north pole of our Star. Implications for understanding the Sun's atmospheric dynamics above 55° here cannot be overstated! pic.twitter.com/1SKhunaXvP
— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) February 2, 2023
Solar cycles
Sun's activity has exceeded expectations this time
Solar cycles are a result of fluctuations in the Sun's magnetic field. The Sun is at its most active or solar maximum when there is a reversal in the polarity of its magnetic field. The Sun's current cycle, which began in December 2019, has exceeded expectations. Our star has been unusually active. And we are yet to reach the solar maximum of this cycle.
Solar prominence
The phenomenon started with a 'hedgerow' solar prominence
According to scientists, the current phenomenon began with a solar prominence- a large, bright filament of plasma that extends outward from the Sun. This particular prominence is called a 'hedgerow prominence.' It always appears at 55-degree latitude around the crown of the Sun every 11 years. Despite knowing its schedule, scientists still have no clue about drives it.
What's special
Piece of the prominence broke away and circled solar pole
If it occurs every 11 years, what's special this time? What stunned everyone is that a piece of the prominence broke away and circled the solar pole at 60-degree latitude for over about eight hours, at a speed of about 96km/h. Scott McIntosh, a solar physicist at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, said that he has never seen something similar.
55-degree
There is something going on at Sun's 55-degree latitude
McIntosh said that something odd happens at the Sun's 55-degree latitude every year. Dr. Skov also shared the same sentiments in her tweet about the phenomenon. Scientists haven't been able to observe this region directly though, which reduces their chance of understanding what transpires there. "We can only observe the sun from the ecliptic plane (the plane in which planets orbit)," said McIntosh.