Coronal Hole
A massive coronal hole observed by the Solar and Heliophysics Observatory (SOHO) on September 19, 2007. This wide coronal hole appeared as the large dark area when viewed in this wavelength (284 Angstrom) of extreme ultraviolet light (here) and in X-rays. Since coronal holes are 'open' magnetically, strong solar wind gusts can escape from them and carry solar particles out to our magnetosphere and beyond. Solar wind streams take several days to travel from the Sun to Earth, and the coronal holes in which they originate are more likely to affect Earth after they have rotated more than halfway around the visible hemisphere of the Sun, which is almost the case here.
The magnetic field lines in a coronal hole open out into the solar wind rather than connecting to a nearby part of the Sun's surface. High-speed solar wind can have a direct effect on "space weather" near the earth. People living at the higher latitudes may see some fairly colorful auroral displays following such events.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/SOHO/ESA
Image Number: 284_hole
Date: September 19, 2007
Coronal Hole
A massive coronal hole observed by the Solar and Heliophysics Observatory (SOHO) on September 19, 2007. This wide coronal hole appeared as the large dark area when viewed in this wavelength (284 Angstrom) of extreme ultraviolet light (here) and in X-rays. Since coronal holes are 'open' magnetically, strong solar wind gusts can escape from them and carry solar particles out to our magnetosphere and beyond. Solar wind streams take several days to travel from the Sun to Earth, and the coronal holes in which they originate are more likely to affect Earth after they have rotated more than halfway around the visible hemisphere of the Sun, which is almost the case here.
The magnetic field lines in a coronal hole open out into the solar wind rather than connecting to a nearby part of the Sun's surface. High-speed solar wind can have a direct effect on "space weather" near the earth. People living at the higher latitudes may see some fairly colorful auroral displays following such events.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/SOHO/ESA
Image Number: 284_hole
Date: September 19, 2007