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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
A Wind From The Sun
Explanation: Explanation : A wind from the Sun blows through our Solar System . The behaviour of comet tails as they flapped and waved in this interplanetary breeze gave astronomers the first hint of its existence . Streaming outward at 250-400 miles/second, electrons and ions boiling off the Sun's incredibly hot but tenuous corona account for the Solar Wind - now known to affect the Earth and other planets along with voyaging spacecraft . Rooted in the Solar Magnetic Field , the structure of the corona is visible in this composite image from the EIT and UVCS instruments onboard the SOHO spacecraft , extending a million miles above the Sun's surface . The dark areas, known as coronal holes, represent the regions where the highest speed Solar Wind originates.
| Date | February 17, 1997 |
|---|---|
| Credit |
A Wind From The Sun Credit: UVCS, EIT, SOHO Consortium, ESA, NASA |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |