The Sun is Smiling On Us!

Kids love to draw pictures of the sun with a big smile. NASA has proof now the sun really does smile on it’s face!

This picture is too good not to share with the world.

In October of 2022, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) captured this unique photo of the sun with it’s space-based Solar Dynamics Observatory. While it may not actually be a smiling face, it is a photo too good not to share with the world.

The dark areas which make up the “smile” are actually coronal holes, visible when viewed in ultraviolet light or certain types of X-ray images. These dark areas appear because they are not as hot as the surrounding areas. According to NASA, the magnetic field structure on the sun also sets up coronal holes to release streams of solar wind, or charged particles, at speeds of more than 1 million miles per hour (1.6 million kilometers per hour).

These solar winds travel through space, eventually creating the beautiful Northern Lights when they disturb the magnetic field in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. The solar winds are also capable of causing problems on Earth because they can damage satellites and sensitive electronics. Major power outages have occurred in the past when powerful solar storms caused damage to electrical grids.

Whether you realize it or not, these solar storms happen all the time but they don’t usually have a smile.

Pretty cool stuff…

~ Marty ~