What causes sunspots flares and prominences?
Sunspots are caused by disturbances in the Sun's magnetic field welling up to the photosphere, the Sun's visible "surface". The powerful magnetic fields in the vicinity of sunspots produce active regions on the Sun, which in turn frequently spawn disturbances such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
What do prominences and sunspots have in common?
What do sunspots, solar prominences, and solar flares all have in common? They are all strongly influenced by magnetic fields on the Sun.
What is the main cause of sunspots?
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) lights from the sun's rays or tanning beds accelerates the production of melanin, a pigment responsible for your skin color. After years of exposure, melanin may clump together or be produced in higher concentrations, causing sunspots.
What causes sunspots quizlet?
What is the cause of the sunspot cycle on the Sun? Subsurface magnetic fields are twisted by the Sun's differential rotation and break through the surface as sunspots, then gradually cancel each other and return below the surface.
What are solar flares and prominences?
A solar flare thrusts solar magnetic energy into space. Looking at the two, what is the difference between a flare and a prominence? A prominence is anchored to the sun; the arch does not separate and go into space. A solar flare, though, will travel through space, since it is a release of energy.
Where do sunspots solar flares and prominences all occur?
Sunspots occur in pairs because each is one side of a loop of the Sun's magnetic field that reaches the Sun's surface. These spots are cooler and darker than the rest of the Sun's surface and they are marked by intense magnetic activity. Solar prominences are the plasma loops that connect two sunspots.
What causes prominences on the Sun?
Prominences are shaped by the Sun's complex magnetic field, often forming loops with each end "anchored" to the Sun's surface (photosphere). Prominences are enormous, extending for many thousands of kilometers (miles).
How are solar flares and prominences alike?
A prominence is a bright relatively dense and relatively cool arched cloud of ionized gas in the chromosphere and corona of the Sun. … A solar flare is a sudden brief (typically lasting only a few minutes) and explosive release of solar magnetic energy that heats and accelerates the gas in the Sun's atmosphere.
What do sunspots solar prominences and solar flares all have in common?
What do sunspots solar prominences and solar flares all have in common? They are all strongly influenced by magnetic fields on the Sun. … Coronal mass ejections and other activity associated with the sunspot cycle can disrupt radio communications and knock out sensitive electronic equipment.
How do solar flares form?
A flare appears as a sudden, intense brightening of a region on the Sun, typically lasting several minutes. Flares occur when intense magnetic fields on the Sun become too tangled. Like a rubber band that snaps when it is twisted too far, the tangled magnetic fields release energy when they "snap".
What is a prominence on the Sun?
A solar prominence (also known as a filament when viewed against the solar disk) is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun's surface. Prominences are anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun's hot outer atmosphere, called the corona.
What are sunspots quizlet?
A sunspot is a region on the Sun's photosphere that is cooler and darker than the surrounding material. Sunspots often appear in pairs or groups with specific magnetic polarities that indicate electromagnetic origins. solar flares.
How are sunspots and solar prominences related?
Sunspots occur in pairs because each is one side of a loop of the Sun's magnetic field that reaches the Sun's surface. These spots are cooler and darker than the rest of the Sun's surface and they are marked by intense magnetic activity. Solar prominences are the plasma loops that connect two sunspots.
What causes prominence to occur?
The prominence plasma flows along a tangled and twisted structure of magnetic fields generated by the sun's internal dynamo. An erupting prominence occurs when such a structure becomes unstable and bursts outward, releasing the plasma.
What do solar flares cause on Earth?
Therefore, solar flares pose no direct danger to humans on Earth. However, this absorption of high-energy electromagnetic radiation can temporarily increase the ionization of the upper atmosphere, which can interfere with short-wave radio communication, and can temporarily heat and expand the Earth's outer atmosphere.
What are prominences?
A solar prominence (also known as a filament when viewed against the solar disk) is a large, bright feature extending outward from the Sun's surface. Prominences are anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun's hot outer atmosphere, called the corona.
What causes a prominence?
The prominence plasma flows along a tangled and twisted structure of magnetic fields generated by the sun's internal dynamo. An erupting prominence occurs when such a structure becomes unstable and bursts outward, releasing the plasma.
What is a solar flare quizlet?
A solar flare is a rapid variation in brightness seen on the sun. Solar Flare Pt. 2. It occurs when magnetic energy built up in the solar atmosphere is released in huge magnetic loops called solar prominences.
What are sun spots?
Sunspots are areas where the magnetic field is about 2,500 times stronger than Earth's, much higher than anywhere else on the Sun. Because of the strong magnetic field, the magnetic pressure increases while the surrounding atmospheric pressure decreases.
How is a prominence on the Sun formed?
Prominences are shaped by the Sun's complex magnetic field, often forming loops with each end "anchored" to the Sun's surface (photosphere). Prominences are enormous, extending for many thousands of kilometers (miles). Prominences can last for several days – or up to several months!
How are sunspots related to prominences and solar flares?
Solar prominences are the plasma loops that connect two sunspots. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections are eruptions of highly energetic particles that can erupt from the Sun's surface and cause problems with power grids and communications on Earth.
How common are solar flares?
The frequency of occurrence of solar flares varies with the 11-year solar cycle. It can range from several per day during solar maximum to less than one every week during solar minimum. Additionally, more powerful flares are less frequent than weaker ones.
What are flares on the Sun?
Solar flares are huge explosions on the Sun. A flare appears as a sudden, intense brightening of a region on the Sun, typically lasting several minutes. Flares occur when intense magnetic fields on the Sun become too tangled.
What causes solar flares quizlet?
A solar flare is a rapid variation in brightness seen on the sun. It occurs when magnetic energy built up in the solar atmosphere is released in huge magnetic loops called solar prominences.
What produces solar flares?
Solar flares are a sudden explosion of energy caused by tangling, crossing or reorganizing of magnetic field lines near sunspots. The surface of the Sun is a very busy place. It has electrically charged gases that generate areas of powerful magnetic forces. These areas are called magnetic fields.
What is solar flares of the sun?
A solar flare is an intense localized eruption of electromagnetic radiation in the Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and other solar phenomena.
How are prominences formed?
Prominences are shaped by the Sun's complex magnetic field, often forming loops with each end "anchored" to the Sun's surface (photosphere). Prominences are enormous, extending for many thousands of kilometers (miles). Prominences can last for several days – or up to several months!
What can solar flares cause?
Therefore, solar flares pose no direct danger to humans on Earth. However, this absorption of high-energy electromagnetic radiation can temporarily increase the ionization of the upper atmosphere, which can interfere with short-wave radio communication, and can temporarily heat and expand the Earth's outer atmosphere.
What are solar flares and solar prominences?
A solar flare thrusts solar magnetic energy into space. Looking at the two, what is the difference between a flare and a prominence? A prominence is anchored to the sun; the arch does not separate and go into space. A solar flare, though, will travel through space, since it is a release of energy.
How solar flares are formed?
A flare appears as a sudden, intense brightening of a region on the Sun, typically lasting several minutes. Flares occur when intense magnetic fields on the Sun become too tangled. Like a rubber band that snaps when it is twisted too far, the tangled magnetic fields release energy when they "snap".