Friday, August 6, 2010

Great ball of fire

On August 1, 2010, almost the entire Earth-facing side of the sun erupted in a tumult of activity. This image from the Solar Dynamics Observatory of the news-making solar event on August 1 shows the C3-class solar flare (white area on upper left), a solar tsunami (wave-like structure, upper right), multiple filaments of magnetism lifting off the stellar surface, large-scale shaking of the solar corona, radio bursts, a coronal mass ejection and more.

This multi-wavelength extreme ultraviolet snapshot from the Solar Dynamics Observatory shows the sun's northern hemisphere in mid-eruption. Different colors in the image represent different gas temperatures. Earth's magnetic field is still reverberating from the solar flare impact on August 3, 2010, which sparked aurorae as far south as Wisconsin and Iowa in the United States. Analysts believe a second solar flare is following behind the first flare and could re-energize the fading geomagnetic storm and spark a new round of Northern Lights.

Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Shade-coffee farms support native bees that help maintain genetic diversity in remnant tropical forests

Aurora Show Heading for Earth Following 4 Solar Eruptions

Most Panda Habitat is Outside Nature Reserves According to Joint MSU - Chinese Research

Triggers of Volcanic Eruptions in Oregon's Mount Hood Investigated

Mount Hood, Oregon

Photon enhanced thermionic emission could double efficiency of solar cells

Brown Dwarf Found Orbiting a Young Sun-Like Star

Evolution in 120 seconds

Behind the Secrets of Silk Lie High-Tech Opportunities

The Importance of Charles Darwin

Mechanical Regulation Effects Stem Cell Development, Adhesion

The Birth of the Universe Big Bang and Beyond

Silicon can be made to melt in reverse

The size of the Universe

Bedrock is a Milestone in Climate Research

We May Actually Live Inside a Black Hole, Vincent