An enormous filament of solar plasma has damaged off the sun’s floor and is circling its north pole like a vortex of highly effective winds, however scientists haven’t any clue what brought on it.
“Speak about polar vortex! Materials from a northern prominence simply broke away from the principle filament & is now circulating in a large polar vortex across the north pole of our star,” space climate forecaster Tamitha Skov said on Twitter whereas sharing a video sequence taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory displaying the odd whirlwind. “Implications for understanding the sun’s atmospheric dynamics above 55° right here can’t be overstated!”
Different solar physicists shared Skov’s pleasure concerning the uncommon phenomenon. However what precisely is it and why is it essential?
Scott McIntosh, a solar physicist and deputy director on the Nationwide Heart for Atmospheric Analysis in Boulder, Colorado, advised Area.com that whereas he has by no means seen a vortex like this, one thing odd is going on on the sun’s 55 diploma latitudes with clockwork regularity as soon as each solar cycle, the 11-year interval characterised by an ebb and circulate within the era of sunspots and eruptions.
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The prominence talked about by Skov, one thing that McIntosh describes as a “hedgerow within the solar plasma”, seems precisely on the 55 diploma latitude across the sun’s polar crowns each 11 years. Scientists know that it has one thing to do with the reversal of the sun’s magnetic subject that occurs as soon as each solar cycle, however they haven’t any clue what drives it.
“As soon as each solar cycle, it kinds on the 55 diploma latitude and it begins to march as much as the solar poles,” McIntosh advised Area.com. “It’s totally curious. There’s a large ‘why’ query round it. Why does it solely transfer towards the pole one time after which disappears after which comes again, magically, three or 4 years later in precisely the identical area?”
Scientists have commonly noticed filaments tear away from this pole-embracing plasma hedgerow, however they’ve but to see it type such a polar whirlwind till now.
Scientists know that the sun’s polar areas play a key function within the era of the star’s magnetic subject, which, in flip, drives its 11-year cycle of exercise. They could not, nevertheless, observe that area immediately.
“We will solely observe the sun from the ecliptic aircraft [the plane in which planets orbit],” McIntosh stated.
The European Area Company Solar Orbiter mission could shed some mild on this odd phenomenon within the coming years. The mission, which is taking photos of the sun from inside the orbit of Mercury, may have its orbit tilted by as much as 33 levels. McIntosh thinks that may not be sufficient to crack the thriller of the polar vortex. Scientists may want a totally new mission to do this.
Comply with Tereza Pultarova on Twitter @TerezaPultarova. Comply with us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.