Sun Storm: A Coronal Mass Ejection
影像版權: SOHO Consortium, ESA, NASA
Explanation:
What's happening to our Sun? Another Coronal Mass Ejection (CME)! The Sun-orbiting SOHO spacecraft has imaged many erupting filaments lifting off the active solar surface and blasting enormous bubbles of magnetic plasma into space. Direct light from the sun is blocked in the inner part of the above image, taken in 2002, and replaced by a simultaneous image of the Sun in ultraviolet light. The field of view extends over two million kilometers from the solar surface. While hints of these explosive events, called coronal mass ejections or CMEs, were discovered by spacecraft in the early 70s, this dramatic image is part of a detailed record of this CME's development from the presently operating SOHO spacecraft. Near the minimum of the solar activity cycle CMEs occur about once a week, but near solar maximum rates of two or more per day are typical. Strong CMEs may profoundly influence space weather. Those directed toward our planet can have serious effects.
說明:
太陽發生什麼事了？這是一次日冕質量拋射 (Coronal Mass Ejection, CME)！繞著太陽運行的SOHO衛星拍攝到許多爆發性的物質環從活耀的太陽表面浮起，後來更把這個巨大泡泡中的熾熱電漿，噴進太空中。在上面的影像裡，西心部份來自太陽的光已經被影像儀的日冕盤遮蔽，取而代之的，是另一張在2002年用紫外光波段拍攝的太陽。這幅影像的視野，大約涵蓋太陽表面向外延伸二百萬公里的範圍。在七十年代初期，科學家早已利用太空觀測站，發現這種稱為日冕質量拋射的爆炸性事件的徵兆。這張精彩的照片，是由SOHO衛星所拍攝到詳盡記錄日冕質量拋射過程影像的其中一張。 在太陽活動週期的極小期時，日冕質量拋射平均每星期發生一次，但接近太陽活動極大期時，每天發生兩次以上日冕質量拋射是很正常的。強烈的日冕質量拋射，尤其是那些直接朝著地球噴發的，會對太空天氣造成嚴重的影響。
日冕質量拋射
資料來源: Scientific American
Windows to the Universe
Department of Physics, NCKU
