Latest news with #CraigDeForest
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Jaw-Dropping Explosions on The Sun Captured in First NASA PUNCH Images
A NASA mission to observe the activity of the solar wind has returned its first images of giant coronal mass ejections (CMEs) billowing out from the Sun. Images from the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) were presented at the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, showing these giant events on an unprecedented scale. "I promise you you have never seen anything quite like this," heliophysicist and PUNCH principal investigator Craig DeForest of the Southwest Research Institute said in his presentation. CMEs are huge expulsions of billions of tons of solar plasma and magnetic fields that are blasted out from the Sun, a massive release of energy and solar particles that occurs when the Sun's magnetic field lines tangle, snap, and reconnect. They often, but don't always, occur with solar flares. A halo CME is what we call it when the CME blasts right in the direction of Earth. From our perspective, the expanding ejecta looks to surround the Sun like a halo, before barreling through the Solar System at tremendous speed. "That halo CME is something you have never seen before. I'd like to call your attention to the white circle near the center of the field of view here. That circle represents the LASCO field of view; that is the largest coronagraph currently used to forecast space weather. "You've seen halo CME movies before, if you've paid attention to the science press. But you have never seen one 30 to 40 degrees from the Sun … you're seeing something that is literally washing across the entire sky of the inner Solar System as it comes toward the Earth." In this case, they were able to track a CME as it blasted through the Solar System at 4 million miles an hour until about two hours before it collided with Earth's magnetic field. These events often produce the aurora that light up Earth's polar skies, but can also interrupt communications and damage satellites, so scientists are keen to develop better space weather tracking and prediction tools. PUNCH is just beginning its planned two-year mission to record solar events in 3D, in an attempt to better understand space weather. The four probes aren't quite yet in their final positions, but the team here on Earth is testing the instruments and taking observations. "These are preliminary data. They look good now, but they are going to look fabulous once we are done with calibration later this summer," DeForest said. "This is the first of many, I'm sure, and the best is still to come." SpaceX Starship Explodes in Towering Fireball Astronomers Uncover a Massive Shaft of Missing Matter Our Galaxy's Monster Black Hole Is Spinning Almost as Fast as Physics Allows
India Today
12-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
Video: Nasa's Punch shows huge solar eruption streaming out from the Sun
Scientists have released the first striking images from Nasa's Punch (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, which launched in March 2025 to change our understanding of the Sun's outer atmosphere and its impact on the solar PUNCH mission consists of four suitcase-sized satellites orbiting in a synchronised formation, working together as a single 'virtual instrument' to capture three-dimensional images of solar newly unveiled images reveal colossal solar eruptions, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), streaming outward from the Sun and traversing the inner solar system. In one video sequence, a CME appears as an expanding 'halo' around the Sun, dramatically illustrating the immense scale and energy of these solar storms. The PUNCH satellites' advanced wide-field imagers allow scientists to track these eruptions in unprecedented detail, following their journey from the solar corona—the Sun's outer atmosphere—into the solar wind that fills our solar system. One unique aspect of the PUNCH mission is its ability to provide a continuous, global 3D perspective, which is essential for understanding and forecasting space images also show the field of view of LASCO C3, an earlier coronagraph still used for space weather predictions, helping scientists compare new and legacy data. advertisementLate in the sequence, the impact of a CME at Earth is visible as a sudden brightening, caused by auroras and radiation effects that momentarily affect the PUNCH cameras.'These preliminary movies show that PUNCH can actually track space weather across the solar system and view the corona and solar wind as a single system,' said Dr. Craig DeForest, principal investigator for mission's data will help scientists better predict space weather events, which can disrupt communications, threaten satellites, and create spectacular auroras on PUNCH enters full operation, even more detailed and comprehensive observations are expected in the coming Reel
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Record
NASA unveils first 'astonishing' images of huge Sun eruptions that cause Northern Lights
The astronomical phenomenon never fails to stun Scots and now we can see how it happens up close The Northern Lights are a huge spectacle in Scotland. We are one of a few lucky countries to experience the glorious phenomenon, with the best times being in March - April and September - October. The Northern Lights occur when charged particles from the sun collide with atmospheric gases near Earth's magnetic poles, emitting light at various wavelengths and painting the sky with a range of colours. In others words, the stunning colours in the sky is the result of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which occur when solar particles enter Earth's atmosphere. These ejections, typically composed of nitrogen and other gases, emit the vibrant and luminous lights known as the aurora borealis when they burn up in the atmosphere. Now, NASA has released its first images of these large solar eruptions so we can see how it all happens up close. And they are pretty incredible. "These first images are astonishing, but the best is still yet to come,' said Craig DeForest, principal investigator from Southwest Research Institute's Solar System Science and Exploration Division in Boulder, Colorado. "Once the spacecraft are in their final formation, we'll be able to routinely track space weather in 3D across the entire inner solar system." The CME can be seen rising in the centre of the image, above the blocked-out Sun. The images were presented at the 246th American Astronomical Society meeting in Anchorage, Alaska this week. Stitched into a video, the snaps show giant CMEs growing as they travel across the inner solar system. In the video above, the first CME appears as an expanding "halo" around the Sun. The white dashes represent the view of an earlier coronagraph still used to forecast space weather. Later, the impact on Earth is visible as an abrupt brightening caused by the aurora takes place. For the star gazers among us, the new images show Venus, Jupiter, several constellations including Orion, and the Pleiades star cluster. The Moon can also be seen in the sequence of images. The images were taken with four cameras which work together as a single "virtual instrument" and captured the whole CMEs as they evolved in space in much greater detail than previously possible. Three Wide Field Imagers, which observe the faint, outermost portion of the Sun's atmosphere and solar wind (the continual stream of charged particles from the Sun), work with a Narrow Field Imager (NFI), a coronagraph which allows scientists to see details in the Sun's atmosphere by blocking out the bright light of the Sun itself. NASA will make continuous 3D observations of the Sun's outer atmosphere and the inner solar system so scientists can understand and predict space weather, which is driven by CMEs and can disrupt communications, endanger satellites and create Auroras, according to experts. This could help Scots get more accurate predictions about when the Northern Lights should appear overhead. From a space point of view, explorers will gain greater insight into how it impacts their other-worldly travels. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Roya News
12-03-2025
- Science
- Roya News
NASA launches missions to explore sun, universe beginning
NASA has launched two missions to explore the origins of the universe and the Sun's outer atmosphere, the agency announced on March 11. The SPHEREx observatory and the PUNCH satellite constellation lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. After multiple delays since February due to technical reviews and weather conditions, the spacecraft is now set to map the entire celestial sky four times over the next two years, collecting data on hundreds of millions of galaxies. SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer, will create a three-dimensional map of the sky, analyzing the light from hundreds of millions of galaxies. The mission aims to shed light on the universe's evolution following the Big Bang nearly 14 billion years ago. It will also explore the large-scale distribution of galaxies and measure cosmic inflation—a rapid expansion phase that shaped the early universe. SPHEREx will search for water ice and other molecules essential for life in the Milky Way, which could provide insight into the potential for life beyond Earth. "Questions like 'How did we get here?' and 'Are we alone?' have fascinated humanity for centuries," said James Fanson, SPHEREx project manager. "It's remarkable that we now have the tools to start answering them." Riding alongside SPHEREx, the Falcon 9 rocket also launched four small satellites for NASA's PUNCH mission (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere). PUNCH is focused on studying the Sun's corona and how it expands into solar wind, a stream of charged particles that affects space weather. By monitoring these solar wind interactions, scientists aim to improve solar storm predictions, which can disrupt satellites and power grids on Earth. 'The space between planets isn't empty—it's filled with turbulent solar wind,' said Craig DeForest, PUNCH principal investigator. 'PUNCH will help us understand how these winds form and how they create space weather that affects us here on Earth.' Both missions will operate in low Earth orbit. SPHEREx will be managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, while PUNCH is led by the Southwest Research Institute. "Everything in NASA science is interconnected, and sending both SPHEREx and PUNCH up on a single rocket doubles the opportunities to do incredible science in space," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Congratulations to both mission teams as they explore the cosmos—from distant galaxies to our nearby star. I am excited to see the data returned in the years to come."
