By solar activity is meanta set of nonstationary phenomena that are in dynamics, and various active formations that occur in the solar atmosphere. One of the manifestations of its activity is the appearance of specific fibers in the magnetic field of the solar atmosphere, namely, plasma formations. When they become visible on the edge of the solar disk, they are called prominences.
Prominence - what is it?
For the first time the mention that in the period of fulleclipses of the Sun observed the appearance of unusual formations, appeared in 1185, and a detailed study of them began in 1842. Subsequently, they were called protuberances (protubero), which in Latin means "swell."
Today, thanks to numerous studies,It is known that the prominence is the formation from the solar plasma, which has colossal dimensions. These giant ejections rise above the surface of the Sun along the lines of force of its magnetic field and are held there for a certain amount of time. Some of them can "hang" in the circumsolar space, sometimes up to several months, practical without changing their original form.
Prominences essentially
Несмотря на то что изучением этих необычных The formations of science has been engaged for a long time; there is no clear and complete theory explaining their diversity and the various phenomena associated with them. In fact, the prominences of nature are dark fibers, clearly visible in the chromosphere of the sun. Their structure is more dense and cold than the surrounding plasma, and the chemical set of elements corresponds to the composition of the layer forming them. Nevertheless, their internal physical state is such that the spectrum of some prominences is supersaturated with hydrogen lines, and the others with different metals. The duration of their existence indicates that their substance is held by magnetic forces.
How are prominences?
Solar protuberances look brightformations protruding along the edges of the disk of the sun. Arising on its background, they have a darker color due to the lower than the surrounding substance, the temperature of their plasma.
Against the background of a hot crown, the prominence is denseand cold education. Having risen from the surface of the Sun, it partially discharges its substance, and then descends and disappears. Some of them are present in the crown for months, others, moving with great speed, do not disappear for several weeks. The separate copies having colossal speed, suddenly explode.
What sizes are prominences?
Prominences in the Sun amaze with theirextraordinary size. Typical representatives of these formations reach a height of up to 40 thousand kilometers, while their width may be about 200 thousand kilometers. There are also such emissions, the height of which is 800 thousand kilometers. Scientists have repeatedly recorded such champions, whose size exceeded 3 million kilometers. The eruption of one of these enormous protuberances, which shot up and bent over a horseshoe, was observed from the spacecraft for 30 hours in August 2010.
What are prominences?
These formations are quite diverse. By their appearance and speed of movement, protuberances on the Sun are divided into:
- quiet, characterized by slow movement and almost imperceptible change in shape, they can exist for several weeks or months;
- active, which are characterized by the rapidity of movement of the flow of a substance and a lifetime from several minutes to tens of hours;
- Loop-shaped (coronal), as a rule, arise in the form of small clouds, which eventually merge into one large cloud that exists for several hours;
- eruptive (or soaring) resemble huge fountains that can erupt very quickly and change their shape, and then quickly disappear.
Depending on their form, and also on how matter itself moves in them, they are classified into three types:
- Smoke-shaped formations or clouds capable of spiraling up to a considerable height.
- Prominences in the form of curved jets and nodeswhich begin and end on the sun's surface. As a rule, having risen along magnetic lines of force, at a high altitude, they begin to fade.
- Formations of large sizes, having the form of a tree or shrub. Clots of their substance move chaotically, while having a speed that does not exceed several tens of km / s.
How to observe prominences?
The prominence is a manifestation of the activity of the sun.You can watch it during a total solar eclipse, although it happens quite rarely. That is why scientists have designed spectral instruments to recreate artificial eclipses. Such telescopes, made of a special type of glass devoid of microbubbles, are equipped with a black disk that mimics the moon. In the process of observing the Sun, he slowly swims toward him, as a result of which the instruments see light emanating only from his corona.
Before the eyes of observers opensamazing picture - dancing protuberances on the sun. Behind the edge of an improvised Moon, protrusions of a complex form of bright pink color, similar to flames or huge clouds escaping from the upper layers of the solar disk, are clearly visible.
Within the peak of the 11-year activity of the Sunobserve coronal arched prominences. This is a rare phenomenon of indescribable beauty - formations in the form of a huge cloud, from the edges of which jets descend, appear in the solar corona above its chromosphere.
For astronomers long remained mysteriousphenomena occurring in the solar corona. The prominence ... This word was associated with the mystery that was kept by a star named the Sun. And only in our time, thanks to satellites and space stations, most of these secrets have been revealed.
Humanity still has to make many great discoveries both in the unknown universe and in our solar system.
