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Ultraviolet View of a Solar Flare

 

Ultraviolet View of Solar Flare credit NASA

The NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory caught a solar flare in August, 2011, and the image is almost beautiful when viewed in Ultraviolet. It's easy to see how active and dynamic our Sun is when viewed this way. Swirls of energy give way to flares that throw off subatomic particles, wrecking havoc with our own magnetic field.



Artist Conception of the NASA Solar Dynamics Obversity credit NASA

While usually the impact from solar flares are minimal, they did knock out the power grid in Quebec in March 1989. When you consider the impact they can have on objects not protected by our atmosphere, such as GPS and communications satellites, it becomes clear why we should monitor the sun and brace for any extreme flares that we can predict. Our technological lives may depend on it. 

Solar Dynamics Observatory

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA mission which will observe the Sun for over five years.[3] Launched on February 11, 2010, the observatory is part of the Living With a Star (LWS) program.[4] The goal of the LWS program is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to effectively address those aspects of the connected Sun–Earth system that directly affect life and society.

source:wikipedia 

 

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