Images of a jack-o-lantern on the surface of the sun revealed by Nasa


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It may be the spookiest the sun has ever looked.

Nasa has revealed these amazing images showing the 'pumpkin sun' just in time for Halloween.

The images were taken on October 8th, and blends together two separate wavelengths usually seen in gold and yellow to create the stunning effect.

This image is a blend of 171 and 193 angstrom light as captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The two separate wavelengths usually seen in gold and yellow are combined to create the stunning effect.

This image is a blend of 171 and 193 angstrom light as captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The two separate wavelengths usually seen in gold and yellow are combined to create the stunning effect.

'The active regions appear brighter because those are areas that emit more light and energy — markers of an intense and complex set of magnetic fields hovering in the sun's atmosphere, the corona,' Nasa said.

They show storms and flares on the surface. 

Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost.

Astronauts are not in immediate danger because of the relatively low orbit of this manned mission. 

They do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks.

The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing the Earth's magnetic field.

Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies.

A positive aspect, from an aesthetic point of view, is that the auroras are enhanced.

Geomagnetic storms are more disruptive now than in the past because of our greater dependence on technical systems that can be affected by electric currents. 

The sun as imaged by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 8, 2014 in 304 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light.
The sun as imaged by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 8, 2014 in 335 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light.

The sun as imaged by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 8, 2014 in 304 (left) and 335 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light (right)

The sun as imaged by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 8, 2014 in 171 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light.
The sun as imaged by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 8, 2014 in 193 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light.

The sun as imaged by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 8, 2014 in 171 (left) and 134 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light (right)

Researchers have even spotted 'holes' as a result of the activity in the past.

A dark square on the sun, known as a 'coronal hole,' is an area where the solar wind is streaming out of the sun at superfast speeds.

A coronal hole is a large region in the corona which is less dense and is cooler than its surrounds.

It appears dark in extreme ultraviolet light as there is less material to emit in these wavelengths.

Such holes may appear at any time of the solar cycle but they are most common during the declining phase of the cycle.

Coronal holes occur when the Sun's magnetic field is open to interplanetary space. 

Conversely, in regions where the solar magnetic fields loop back to the Sun forming arches, x-ray and UV images show bright areas. 

The brightest points in the images are generally at the top of the magnetic loops or arches. 

 



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