Tornadoes On The Sun?

  • Released Tuesday, December 23, 2014
View full credits

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) stares at our sun in high-definition from space. Under the spacecraft's constant gaze the sun's invisible magnetic field betrays its presence by bending charged gas, or plasma, into entrancing patterns. In February 2012, SDO captured curious images in which plasma near the sun’s surface appears to swirl like debris in a tornado. But was the plasma really rotating? Some scientists believe the spinning is an illusion caused by a 2-D projection of 3-D motion, while others think it is truly twisting. Newer observations may show more clearly that some of the material is moving toward Earth while some is moving away, pointing to genuine rotation. If that’s the case, bunched magnetic fields at the sun’s surface could be causing the elaborate plasma dance by becoming tangled themselves. Watch the video to see solar magnetism in action.

Scientists wonder whether a NASA spacecraft saw a solar tornado—or if it’s just an illusion.

Scientists wonder whether a NASA spacecraft saw a solar tornado—or if it’s just an illusion.

This video, assembled from images taken by NASA’s SDO spacecraft, shows possible plasma tornadoes over a 30-hour period.

The dark-colored plumes of plasma seen in SDO images extended more than 20,000 miles above the sun's surface.

The dark-colored plumes of plasma seen in SDO images extended more than 20,000 miles above the sun's surface.

Scientists observed plasma within the plumes traveling at speeds of more than 11,000 mph.

Scientists observed plasma within the plumes traveling at speeds of more than 11,000 mph.

SDO spotted the tornado-like structures over the upper-left limb of the sun.

SDO spotted the tornado-like structures over the upper-left limb of the sun.

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Tuesday, December 23, 2014.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT.