The discovery of a weird circular filament swaying around the pole of the
sun has scientists extremely thrilled.
Scientists are unsure of what caused a massive filament of solar plasma to
break off the sun's surface and circle its north pole like a vortex of
strong winds.
"Discuss the polar vortex! Our star's north pole is being surrounded by a
massive polar vortex that is currently circulating material from a northern
prominence that recently broke free from the main filament "Tamitha Skov, a
space weather forecaster, posted a video clip of an unusual whirlwind taken
by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory on
Twitter. The implications for comprehending the mechanics of the sun's atmosphere
above 55° cannot be emphasized!
Skov wasn't the only solar scientist who was excited about the strange
occurrence. But what is it precisely, and why is it significant?
Although he has never observed a vortex like this, Scott McIntosh, a solar
physicist and deputy director at the National Center for Atmospheric
Research in Boulder, Colorado, told Space.com that something strange occurs
at the sun's 55 degree latitudes on a regular basis once every solar cycle,
the 11-year period marked by an ebb and flow in the production of sunspots
and eruptions.
Every 11 years, the prominence reported by Skov—which McIntosh refers to as
a "hedgerow in the solar plasma"—appears precisely at latitude 55 degrees
around the polar crowns of the sun. The reversal of the sun's magnetic
field, which occurs during per solar cycle, is known to be related to it,
but scientists are unsure of what causes it.
According to McIntosh, "it develops once every solar cycle at 55 degrees
latitude and begins to march north to the solar poles." "It's pretty
interesting. There is a lot of "why" surrounding it. Why does it only make
one trip toward the pole, vanish, and then suddenly reappear three or four
years later in the same place?"
This plasma hedgerow that embraces the poles has frequently seen filaments
rip out from it, but until recently, no such polar whirlwind has been
detected.
The magnetic field of the sun, which in turn drives its 11-year cycle of
activity, is known to be strongly influenced by its polar regions. However,
they were unable to directly view that area.
Only from the ecliptic plane, which is the plane on which planets orbit,
can we perceive the sun, according to McIntosh.
In the upcoming years, the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter project
might provide some insight into this peculiar occurrence. The mission's
orbit will be inclined by up to 33 degrees when it takes pictures of the sun
from within Mercury's orbit. That, in McIntosh's opinion, might not be
sufficient to solve the polar vortex issue. To achieve that, scientists
might need to launch a whole new expedition.
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