Sun Watch Thread!!!

The Sun is not a quiet place, but one that exhibits sudden releases of energy. One of the most frequently observed events are solar flares: sudden, localized, transient increases in brightness that occur in active regions near sunspots. They are usually most easily seen in H-alpha and X-rays, but may have effects in the entire elecromagnetic spectrum. The X-ray brightness from a large flare often exceeds the X-ray output from the rest of the Sun. Another type of event, the coronal mass ejection, typically disrupt helmet streamers in the solar corona. As much as 1e13 (10,000,000,000,000) kilograms of material can be ejected into the solar wind. Coronal mass ejections propagate out in the solar wind, where they may encounter the Earth and influence geomagnetic activity. Coronal mass ejections are often (but not always) accompanied by prominence eruptions, where the cool, dense prominence material also erupts outward.

All of these forms of solar activity are believed to be driven by energy release from the solar magnetic field. How this energy release occurs, and the relationship between different types of solar activity, is one of the many puzzles facing solar physicists today. The amount of solar activity on the Sun is not constant, and is closely related to the typical number of sunspots that are visible. The number of sunspots and the levels of solar activity vary with an 11 year period known as the solar cycle.

Sunspots are dark, planet-sized regions that appear on the "surface" of the Sun. Sunspots are "dark" because they are colder than the areas around them. A large sunspot might have a temperature of about 4,000 K (about 3,700° C or 6,700° F). This is much lower than the 5,800 K (about 5,500° C or 10,000° F) temperature of the bright photosphere that surrounds the sunspots.

Sunspots

Sunspots are only dark in contrast to the bright face of the Sun. If you could cut an average sunspot out of the Sun and place it in the night sky, it would be about as bright as a full moon. Sunspots have a lighter outer section called the penumbra, and a darker middle region named the umbra.

Sunspots are caused by the Sun's magnetic field welling up to the photosphere, the Sun's visible "surface". The powerful magnetic fields around sunspots produce active regions on the Sun, which often lead to solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The solar activity of flares and CMEs are called "solar storms".

Sunspots form over periods lasting from days to weeks, and can last for weeks or even months. The average number of spots that can be seen on the face of the Sun is not always the same, but goes up and down in a cycle. Historical records of sunspot counts show that this sunspot cycle has an average period of about eleven years.

Our Sun isn't the only star with spots. Just recently, astronomers have been able to detect "starspots" - "sunspots" on other stars.

Source


[edit on 7-7-2009 by NotAgain]

Originally posted by NotAgain
The Sun is not a quiet place, but one that exhibits sudden releases of energy. One of the most frequently observed events are solar flares: sudden, localized, transient increases in brightness that occur in active regions near sunspots. They are usually most easily seen in H-alpha and X-rays, but may have effects in the entire elecromagnetic spectrum. The X-ray brightness from a large flare often exceeds the X-ray output from the rest of the Sun. Another type of event, the coronal mass ejection, typically disrupt helmet streamers in the solar corona. As much as 1e13 (10,000,000,000,000) kilograms of material can be ejected into the solar wind. Coronal mass ejections propagate out in the solar wind, where they may encounter the Earth and influence geomagnetic activity. Coronal mass ejections are often (but not always) accompanied by prominence eruptions, where the cool, dense prominence material also erupts outward.

All of these forms of solar activity are believed to be driven by energy release from the solar magnetic field. How this energy release occurs, and the relationship between different types of solar activity, is one of the many puzzles facing solar physicists today. The amount of solar activity on the Sun is not constant, and is closely related to the typical number of sunspots that are visible. The number of sunspots and the levels of solar activity vary with an 11 year period known as the solar cycle.

Sunspots are dark, planet-sized regions that appear on the "surface" of the Sun. Sunspots are "dark" because they are colder than the areas around them. A large sunspot might have a temperature of about 4,000 K (about 3,700° C or 6,700° F). This is much lower than the 5,800 K (about 5,500° C or 10,000° F) temperature of the bright photosphere that surrounds the sunspots.

Sunspots

Sunspots are only dark in contrast to the bright face of the Sun. If you could cut an average sunspot out of the Sun and place it in the night sky, it would be about as bright as a full moon. Sunspots have a lighter outer section called the penumbra, and a darker middle region named the umbra.

Sunspots are caused by the Sun's magnetic field welling up to the photosphere, the Sun's visible "surface". The powerful magnetic fields around sunspots produce active regions on the Sun, which often lead to solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). The solar activity of flares and CMEs are called "solar storms".

Sunspots form over periods lasting from days to weeks, and can last for weeks or even months. The average number of spots that can be seen on the face of the Sun is not always the same, but goes up and down in a cycle. Historical records of sunspot counts show that this sunspot cycle has an average period of about eleven years.

Our Sun isn't the only star with spots. Just recently, astronomers have been able to detect "starspots" - "sunspots" on other stars.

Source


[edit on 7-7-2009 by NotAgain]

WOW NotAgain. amazing info there thanks my friend

Originally posted by SonicInfinity
So, what doomsday thread do you all think questioningall will make in the next couple of months? Major heat spell in October to kill millions? Swine Flu breakout on Thanksgiving due to undercooked turkeys? Perhaps a webbot reborn thread on Christmas? Oh, the stressful possibilities.

I figured nothing substantial would happen today (although fans of Michael Jackson would disagree). I was starting to lean a little toward it until I learned of the crop circle that took three days to complete. I could maybe understand two days, but after that, there should have been security and watchful people all over that place. These doomsday threads really get blown out of proportion.

...And not only slander, but soliciting further slander from others. How tackless and obvious.

reply to post by Free4Ever2


Yea really good site, you can select how you read it too. Beginer, Intermediat or advance. I think now is a better time that any to understand our home planet and our solar system. If you get bored you can always play flash games on the site and learn at the same time.

reply to post by Trunkeight


You need to look up the definition of slander. Slandering is when you make false, hurtful accusations against another individual. Bringing up truthful things they have done in the past and making inquiries about it happening again in the future (and stating them as "possibilities," no less) is not slander.

I'm not on ATS to like or hate users, I'm here to discuss conspiracies and look at the facts. The fact is that electrical surges and power outages have not occurred in mass today, so that means the prediction was wrong. Of course, if you want me to wait until midnight in Hawaii or some place to say so, I can.

Why don't you both take the matter up via u2u, that way we avoid others jumping on the bandwagon. Once people start taking sides "You got a battle on your hands" I have seen these situation spiral out of control many times.

PS "We love you both"

Originally posted by Free4Ever2
...also it would make it easier for people to read it all without having to go through about 5 different threads

Please explain how adding ANOTHER thread is supposed to make it easier? It really just takes attention away from the hard work of the other members' threads imo. You just make a thread about their threads and reap the attention due to the title, implying that this is the only thread we need to visit.

"Official" thread always a head scratcher.

Edit to add: I guess someone agrees, the title has changed.

[edit on 7/7/09 by AcesInTheHole]

reply to post by AcesInTheHole


Well to me "The Sun Watch" thread covers a wider range of topics in one thread. Makes sense rather than have 5+ threads titled on individual subjects , this way we can have all the information right here "Magnetosphere, Xray Flux, Solar Wind, Solar Storms, SunSpots... so on"

Just my opinion anyway

Originally posted by AcesInTheHole

Originally posted by Free4Ever2
...also it would make it easier for people to read it all without having to go through about 5 different threads

Please explain how adding ANOTHER thread is supposed to make it easier?

It really just takes attention away from the hard work of the other members' threads imo. You just make a thread about their threads and reap the attention due to the title, implying that this is the only thread we need to visit.

"Official" thread

always a head scratcher.

If you had read my explanation about this earlier then you wouldnt have to ask silly questions. ONCE AGAIN SINCE YOU DONT SEEM TO READ THAT WELL. I AM NOT HERE TO TAKE ANYONES ATTENTION AWAY FROM THEM AND TO BE HONEST ANYONE WANTING ATTENTION BECAUSE OF A THREAD THEY POSTED ON ATS IS A BIT CHILDISH IF YOU ASK ME. i hav not posted anything in this thread that was in the other threads, i merely suggested we compiled all the info into one thread for an easier time. and where was i implying that this is the only thread you ned to visit, i wish you people would stop picking faults in the slightest little things, it makes me feel bad for you it really does, dont you have anything btter to do honestly ?? as i said to whoever the hell it was before giving me grief, if you dont like it, go away, why are you here??

reply to post by Free4Ever2


I come to ATS to get away from the norm, not have it condensed in one thread.

Which is why I did not read all the pages, so you are showing ignorance by implying I cannot read well.

edit: You could have at least linked to the other threads in the OP if those were your intentions.

[edit on 7/7/09 by AcesInTheHole]

Dangerous particles are not able to penetrate to the Earth's surface but are forced by the magnetic field to move around the Earth. Particles gain entry through the cusps that are shaped like funnels over the polar regions or they gain entry far downstream from the Earth. The particles that enter downstream travel toward the Earth and are accelerated into the high-latitude ionosphere and produce the auroral oval light shows. Since the most intense auroras occur at solar maximum, it was once thought that the Sun hurled material out during these raised times of solar activity and that that material funneled directly into the polar cusps. However, we now understand that the electrons that cause the auroras come in downstream or from the Earth's magnetic tail. These electrons that enter at the magnetotail are energized locally within the magnetosphere.

Other higher energy particle radiation that could pose a danger to life here on Earth, is forced to drift around the Earth within two large donut-shaped regions called the radiation belts. Invisible magnetic fields are the reason that particle radiation moves in this way.

Source

Would be intresting to know if these electrons that enter downstream from the magnetic tail have an impact on the poles.

These are the most up to date pics from

sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov...

As someone who's really put a fair amount of work into presenting some points, I don't mind what the OP did at all. I appreciate it.

I've tried to stick to the science.. And I've given MY opinions regarding certain things, but I've never said that I believe aliens made the crop circles to warn humanity of impending doom.

So put whatever words in our mouths that you want, whoever has tried to destroy these conversations for whatever reason has definitely succeeded.

I kind of hoped that we'd keep the momentum going... And I'm reluctant to continue posting here after all of the mod warnings, the insults, the attacks, the hate..

Especially after I've tried my best to stick to the science and kept my cussing under control...

what is happening here. it is different than the others.

reply to post by brokenheadphonez


very well said my friend, i was thinking about not posting in this thread again but in the name of knowledge i must for knowledge is what i seek peace and love dude x

reply to post by brokenheadphonez


For whats it's worth some of us respect the time and effort you have put in "Not only to this thread" but the others you posted links to aswell.

I for one would love you to continue posting, if it wasn't for your great input I don't think I would give a rats about the recent solar activity. You made it very easy for me to understand, this resulted in me gaining a keen intrest in solar activity myself.

Whatever your choice

Thank you

Originally posted by Free4Ever2
reply to post by brokenheadphonez

 

very well said my friend, i was thinking about not posting in this thread again but in the name of knowledge i must

for knowledge is what i seek

peace and love dude x

If the shills freak out, you KNOW you're onto something!

Coronal Holes:
A solar wind stream flowing from the indicated coronal hole could reach Earth on or about July 12th.

www.spaceweather.com...


i had read somewhere earlier about solar winds hitting us on the 12th.

i must say im quite glad of all the crop circle crap that go talked about because it has made me extremely interested in the suns activity where as i wouldnt have given a damn about it Just fillling my mind with as much knowledge as possible

Edit: also as NotAgain said, i greatly appreciate your input brokenheadphonez, also for me you have made it easy to digest and you have given me a thurst to find out more about solar activity, it seems right that we should study our sun for it gives us life

[edit on 7-7-2009 by Free4Ever2]

Looks interesting, I've seen this a couple times today (have RTMS in a second monitor..)

I have a paper detailing the solar wind effects on the bow shock but I don't understand it.. Out of my scope.

Originally posted by SonicInfinity
reply to post by Trunkeight

 

You need to look up the definition of slander. Slandering is when you make false, hurtful accusations against another individual. Bringing up truthful things they have done in the past and making inquiries about it happening again in the future (and stating them as "possibilities," no less) is not slander.

I'm not on ATS to like or hate users, I'm here to discuss conspiracies and look at the facts. The fact is that electrical surges and power outages have not occurred in mass today, so that means the prediction was wrong. Of course, if you want me to wait until midnight in Hawaii or some place to say so, I can.

"So, what doomsday thread do you all think questioningall will make in the next couple of months? Major heat spell in October to kill millions? Swine Flu breakout on Thanksgiving due to undercooked turkeys? Perhaps a webbot reborn thread on Christmas? Oh, the stressful possibilities.

This is character assasination. You ask us all to assume some pattern of a posters future output (In this case Questioningall)in the next couple of months, and go onto mention realworld issues (swine flu) coupled with obvious fantasies ( Swine flu breakout on thanksgiving due to undercooked turkeys) thus not only casting the posters character in doubt, but the merit of the legitimacy of the very real issues you mention in tandem.
You seem to occupy a position of disagreement with content the OP. Why not simply mention what you disagree with and what you in turn think , instead of the petulant derrision? The effects of today wont be felt for three or four more days. So you can wait until midnight in Hawaii if you like, but you are still going to make a fool of yourself.