Astronomers have long been fascinated by the Sun. Several telescopes are stranded just to study the brightest celestial object in our solar system. In a new mysterious development, a massive chunk of the star was found to be separating from its surface and producing a tornado-like pattern around its North Pole. The phenomenon captured by NASA’s James Webb telescope has stunned the scientific community.
The video was shared by Dr. Tamitha Skov, an astrophysicist. The Sun continues to produce solar flares, which can affect Earth’s communications making scientists concerned about the latest developments.
Yes, this is old region 3190 just saying "hello" before fully rotating into view. Guaranteed it is going to be the source of #RadioBlackouts in the coming week! https://t.co/iV3kxzSDpx
— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) February 8, 2023
According to Dr. Skov, the material from the northern portion of the star that broke away from its main filament is now circulating in a massive solar vortex at the north pole of the Sun. This phenomenon has important implications for studying the atmospheric conditions of the Sun, the space weather forecaster said.
Skov noted that the material from the northern portion of the star took around 8 hours to move around the pole. The wind speed during this period is estimated to be around 96 kilometres per second or around 60 miles a second.
As scientists try to piece together the details of the unusual event, they are also looking into how this phenomenon materialized. Although our favourite star is constantly monitored by scientists, it still throws surprises. This month, for instance, multiple powerful solar flares affected Earth’s communications.
In other developments in space, astronomers recently discovered a new ring system within the solar system. They were baffled by this one since it was unlike anything they’d seen before.
According to a report by Science Alert, the small planet known as Quaoar was recently discovered to be surrounded by a dense ring. This phenomenon suggests that the gravitational pull of a larger object can affect the formation of rings and moons. This new discovery has suggested that scientists may have to rethink their understanding of how moons and rings around them are formed and how gravity affects them.