I really enjoy looking at images of the Sun from one of the several round-the-clock monitoring systems. It’s fascinating that the public can get access to almost real time images of the Sun and see what’s going on in several wavelengths. I’ve always hoped to see what other stars look like in the future, and today, that future is one step closer. Here’s a brand new picture of another star! This is a real image of distant star π1Gruis, a star 350 times as massive as the Sun, in the southern hemisphere constellation Grus. The star is 530 light years...
I’ve seen images from the Sun in all different wavelengths of light. It looks very different across the electromagnetic spectrum, with some wavelengths making up more of the Sun’s total energy output than others. What’s always striking to me is seeing the images of the Sun that show its structure, including the strange and beautiful features of plasma that dance across it’s surface. A recent APOD captures just such a concept. This image shows the Sun in Hydrogen Alpha, a wavelength of light at 656 nanometres. This is from the ionization of Hydrogen, where the electron is excited and transitions...
Every time a comet slowly approaches the inner solar system, astronomers get excited. We are hopeless romantics, wishing the new comet will brighten enough to be labeled the next ‘comet of the century.’ Yet we have had our hearts broken before, more often than not. The most recent fizzled comet was nearly two years ago with the burn up of comet ISON as it passed close to the Sun. It made for a spectacular view for SOHO and SDO looking at the Sun, but for the rest of us it was just another heartbreak. But once again we have hope; A...
Solar Flares happen, especially during the current peak of solar activity. Here’s a cool video from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).
Comets are a lot like the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team. They get you really excited early on, and just when your hopes are highest, they become a continual disappointment. Then you go through the same thing the next time around. More often than not, comets with great expectations fizzle or burn up. Here are my top five comet fizzles from recorded history. But comets, unlike the Leafs, can sometimes succeed. They can live up to expectations and become a beautiful night sky jewel. Hale-Bopp comes to mind from 1997, when it exceeded the expectations and became the comet of a...
