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Metro
10-07-2025
- Science
- Metro
The Simpsons predict the future after scientists plan artificial solar eclipse
'Have you ever seen the Sun set at 3pm?' This is what Mr Burns, the billionaire tyrant, asked the residents of Springfield in a 1996 episode of The Simpsons. And soon, a group of scientists can say they have. A UK-led space mission will see astronomers blot out the Sun by using a satellite, once again proving that The Simpsons can predict the future. The Moon-Enabled Sun Occultation Mission (MESOM), unveiled yesterday at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting, hopes that human-made solar eclipses will help us understand the Sun. A small satellite will be blasted into a special orbit that allows it to align with the Moon's shadow roughly once every lunar month, or 29.6 days. Solar eclipses don't sound like much – they happen when the Moon comes between us and the Sun. But the sight of the silhouette of the Moon eating into the yellow orb of the Sun is a celestial marvel. The Moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun, but is 400 times closer to us – when the two align, they're about the same size in the sky. Sometimes only a small chunk of the Sun is obscured, leading to a partial solar eclipse. Earth can also elbow its way between the Sun and the Moon, which is called a lunar eclipse. Total solar eclipses aren't a common sight, occurring once every 18 months and can be as short as 10 seconds, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. But MESOM aims to create 80 of them, each nearly 50 minutes long, across two years. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The artificial solar eclipse will recreate totality – the moment the Moon completely covers the Sun. During this, wispy white strings of light from the Sun's atmosphere, or corona, are visible. It's these wisps that are of interest to scientists, with eclipses being one of the few times the innermost corona is visible. But like children being told not to look at the Sun with the naked eye, scientists struggle to get a good look at the corona because of how bright the Sun is, Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Jake Foster told Metro. 'We happen to be extremely lucky here on Earth that total solar eclipses occur, because in the brief few moments that the Moon completely blocks the Sun's surface from view, we can see and study its atmosphere, known as the corona,' he said. To get around this, MESOM will observe the technologically blocked-out Sun from space. The orbital spacecraft will get up, close and personal with our star – it'll be 56,000km close to the Sun. The satellite has a high-resolution coronal imager, a very powerful camera, and a corona mass spectrometer that can track the plasma that the Sun spits out. They'll also use a spectropolarimeter. While it sounds like something that can detect ghosts, the instrument can pick up sunspots, cool, dark spots of the Sun twisted by its magnetic field. By doing so, the international researchers will be able to forecast space weather better, such as solar storms, the Sun's energy smashing into the Earth, which can cause blackouts and power grid failures. More Trending Foster said: 'This could rapidly accelerate our chances to answer the big unsolved mysteries of the Sun, such as why its atmosphere (the corona) is so much hotter than its surface. 'Also, the chance to study and better understand space weather caused by the Sun is invaluable, since its effects on the Earth's electrical systems can be devastating if powerful enough.' The MESOM team submitted their proposal to the European Space Agency's F-class mission call in May. F-class missions are quick and easy projects – at least, in the world of multi-million pound world of space tech. If given the green light, they expect to start work on MESOM as early as 2026. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Earth is spinning so fast that today will be shorter – but is time going faster? MORE: Here's how to see the Delta Aquariid meteor shower just around the corner MORE: Uranus enters Gemini for the first time since 1949 — this is the epiphany it brings your star sign
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
'Bird Wing' Solar Eruption Headed Toward Earth
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A massive solar filament over 600,000 miles long erupted from the sun's northern hemisphere earlier this week, in a dramatic event dubbed a 'bird wing' eruption by scientists. Why It Matters This filament, more than twice the distance between Earth and the moon, was captured by satellites peeling away from the sun in "wings" 75 times larger than Earth. Specialists indicated that any impact would likely increase auroral activity and could trigger a minor geomagnetic storm. An image of a solar prominence, also know as a solar filament. An image of a solar prominence, also know as a solar To Know The eruption occurred late on Monday into Tuesday, according to Most solar material was headed away from Earth, but scientists expressed concerns about a glancing blow, according to the Daily Mail. If this happens, the most likely results would be enhanced auroral displays, particularly at high latitudes and a minor geomagnetic disturbance. According to NASA, a solar filament is a vast, luminous structure that projects outward from the Sun's surface. These features are rooted in the photosphere and stretch outward into the Sun's hot outer atmosphere, known as the corona. Prominences typically take about a day to form, and those that remain stable can endure in the corona for several months, arching hundreds of thousands of miles into space. Jake Foster, astronomer at the U.K.'s Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the Mail that eruptions of this type can cause geomagnetic storms, potentially blocking out radio communications and disrupting satellite navigation in some areas. Sarah Matthews, a professor of solar physics with the University College London's Mullard Space Science Lab told Newsweek that some effects from the eruption would be possible on Friday. Matthews said that while most of the event was directed northward, the lower flank did make its way into the Earth-Sun line. "Based on the current forecasts, it looks like at most a minor geomagnetic storm, with an increased chance of high latitude aurora, but probably not making it mid latitudes." The Earth-facing side of our Sun has been taking a bit of a nap recently, but finally did something noteworthy! Check out this gorgeous "bird wing" filament eruption today. Thus far, it looks like it will mostly miss us, but we could get the wake of the structure passing by Earth… — Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) May 13, 2025 What People Are Saying Krista Hammond, a space weather expert at the U.K.'s Met Office told Newsweek: "On Tuesday we observed an eruption of plasma from the Sun which a very common event at this point in the solar cycle. Because of where this left the Sun, the vast majority of the material will miss Earth. This means that even if we do receive a glancing blow from the eruption, it will be weak—a minor geomagnetic storm at most—which will not have any significant impacts." Space weather physicist Tamitha Skov said on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday: "The Earth-facing side of our Sun has been taking a bit of a nap recently, but finally did something noteworthy! Check out this gorgeous "bird wing" filament eruption today. Thus far, it looks like it will mostly miss us, but we could get the wake of the structure passing by Earth sometime May 16." What Happens Next "We've seen some more activity from a sunspot region that recently rotated on to the front side of the disk, but because that's not yet well connected to us it's not causing too much in the way of disturbance at the moment," Matthews said. "That may change in the coming days as it rotates further towards the West limb of the sun though."
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Earth could be hit by 600,000 mile-wide 'bird wing' solar eruption TOMORROW, astronomers warn
On Tuesday, astronomers watched as a vast 'bird wing' eruption sent waves of superheated plasma surging across the sun's northern hemisphere. At over 600,000 miles long (one million km), the filament of solar material was more than twice as long as the distance from the Earth to the moon. Now, scientists predict that part of this filament eruption could hit Earth tomorrow. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, aurora chaser Jure Atanackov predicted that the full force of this eruption could trigger a severe or even extreme geomagnetic storm, the highest level on official rating systems. Stunning video recorded by NASA 's solar observation satellites shows the moment that filaments of plasma 75 times larger than Earth peeled away from the sun in a pair of sweeping 'wings'. Most of the material was shot out of the sun's north pole, so it will mostly avoid Earth. However, astronomers say that Earth will probably receive a glancing blow from the wake of the passing storm. That means there is an increased chance of being able to spot the Northern Lights and a risk of disruption to electrical equipment. Solar filaments are dense ribbons of cooler solar plasma which are suspended above the sun's surface by powerful magnetic fields. When these magnetic fields become unstable, they can release the filaments in a violent eruption. Jake Foster, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: 'Loops of hot plasma can sprout up from the Sun's surface, following along its magnetic field lines, and occasionally they break free and shoot off into space at high speeds.' Sometimes this triggers an event called a coronal mass ejection, a wave of plasma and magnetic fields which is launched into space. It is the arrival of these coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which trigger geomagnetic storms and enhanced auroral activity on Earth. As astronomers observed, this is exactly what happened on Tuesday as two huge filaments became unstable and collapsed, triggering a huge CME. As the filament eruption tore away from the sun's surface, eagerly-watching aurora chasers were amazed by the sheer scale of the blast. Mr Atanackov wrote in a post on X that the blast 'dwarfs all the filament eruptions we have seen recently.' Likewise, Northern Lights photographer Vincent Ledvina said: 'Not sure what to call this eruption, maybe the "bird-wing" or "angel-wing" event? Either way, it is truly something to witness! Look at how large the blast is off the Sun's northern hemisphere.' In her solar forecast, space weather physicist Dr Tamitha Skov reported a 'massive dual filament launch that could give Earth a glancing blow.' When a filament eruption escapes the solar surface, it leaves behind a cool 'scar' on the sun, which shows up as a dark region in solar imaging cameras. While it initially appeared that most of the blast had been directed northward, away from Earth, the remains scars suggested that some of the eruption could be coming our way. Dr Skov said: 'You'd think this was just going northward. But, believe it or not, the scar from this thing as it lifted off the sun makes us think that maybe there's part of this that's Earth-directed.' It is considered likely that part of the CME or its wake will hit Earth tomorrow, causing a minor geomagnetic storm and lingering effects for a few days. Mr Foster says: 'These eruptions are huge collections of high energy solar particles, so when they hit the Earth's atmosphere they can cause a few different effects. 'With enough energy, they have the potential to cause a geomagnetic storm, temporarily blocking out radio communications and satellite navigation in certain areas. 'On the more serious end of the scale, they can cause an overload to electrical infrastructure, damaging the power grid and railway lines, and potentially even sparking electrical fires.' Additionally, as charged particles from the sun arrive, they are channelled towards the poles by the planet's powerful magnetic fields. These particles then collide with nitrogen and oxygen in the air, transferring their energy into the gases and causing them to glow, in an effect we see as the aurora. Since the Earth's magnetic fields protect us extremely well from these charged particles, auroras are only normally visible close to the magnetic poles. Although Dr Skov predicts a 20 per cent chance of a major storm occurring, the chances of significant geomagnetic activity are low. Stephen Dixon, Met Office spokesperson, told MailOnline: 'A coronal mass ejection could possibly glance the Earth later this evening and could lead to aurora being visible in northern Scotland, though there is low confidence in this. 'Should it occur, skies are relatively clear, but viewers might need to take a photo with a long exposure.' SOLAR STORMS PRESENT A CLEAR DANGER TO ASTRONAUTS AND CAN DAMAGE SATELLITES Solar storms, or solar activity, can be divided into four main components that can have impacts on Earth: Solar flares: A large explosion in the sun's atmosphere. These flares are made of photons that travel out directly from the flare site. Solar flares impact Earth only when they occur on the side of the sun facing Earth. Coronal Mass Ejections (CME's): Large clouds of plasma and magnetic field that erupt from the sun. These clouds can erupt in any direction, and then continue on in that direction, plowing through solar wind. These clouds only cause impacts to Earth when they're aimed at Earth. High-speed solar wind streams: These come from coronal holes on the sun, which form anywhere on the sun and usually only when they are closer to the solar equator do the winds impact Earth. Solar energetic particles: High-energy charged particles thought to be released primarily by shocks formed at the front of coronal mass ejections and solar flares. When a CME cloud plows through solar wind, solar energetic particles can be produced and because they are charged, they follow the magnetic field lines between the Sun and Earth. Only charged particles that follow magnetic field lines that intersect Earth will have an impact. While these may seem dangerous, astronauts are not in immediate danger of these phenomena because of the relatively low orbit of manned missions. However, they do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks. The damage caused by solar storms Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost. The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing Earth's magnetic field. Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies. When Coronal Mass Ejections strike Earth they cause geomagnetic storms and enhanced aurora. They can disrupt radio waves, GPS coordinates and overload electrical systems. A large influx of energy could flow into high voltage power grids and permanently damage transformers. This could shut off businesses and homes around the world.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
When and where can you see the Lyrid meteor shower in the UK?
Stargazers in the UK can look forward to a dazzling spectacle this month with the arrival of the Lyrid meteor shower. Lyrid is one of the oldest recorded meteor showers and is visible every year from around mid to late April. Anyone attempting to see the display should hopefully catch glimpses of streaks of light in the sky that appear briefly. This year, the shower will be active from 16 April to 25 April - with its peak on Tuesday 22 April. The meteors will appear to radiate from a point within the constellation Lyra - where they originate from - but will be visible across the whole sky. A meteor shower is a celestial event where numerous meteors show up as bright streaks of light in the night sky. These displays occur when Earth passes through a trail of debris left behind by a comet or, less commonly, an asteroid. The debris, often no larger than grains of sand or small pebbles, enters Earth's atmosphere at high speeds, burning up due to friction and creating the glowing trails we call meteors, or "shooting stars". Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which they appear to originate and happen predictably each year as Earth crosses the same debris paths. The peak of this year's Lyrid meteor shower is the 22nd April, according to Jake Foster, the public astronomy officer at Royal Museums Greenwich. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The best way to see it is after 10pm - around midnight is even better because the radiant point Lyra will be higher in the sky". Foster added that the Lyrid meteor shower is "known as one of the bright ones", and no specialist equipment will be needed. He explained: "The best thing to do is get away from the bright city lights and get a wide view of the sky. Lay down on a blanket, no equipment needed, no telescope needed, just a lot of patience." Sam Tonkin, from the Royal Astronomical Society, told Yahoo News UK that no particular part of the UK will be better than others in terms of catching a glimpse of the display. He said: "It will be visible across the UK. The only thing that will impact it is if you have a clear sky/cloud cover and if you are away from light pollution or not." Jessica Lee, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told Yahoo News UK that areas of the UK with darker skies, away from light polluted areas, will be the best places to see the display. She added: "No meteors will be visible if you have completely cloudy skies, so areas with better weather forecasts might also fare better… "The best thing to do is go to an area with lots of sky visible - like an open field, or the top of a hill." Dr Robert Massey, the deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, said that the best equipment "is just your eyes", with the east being the point in the sky where the meteors appear to come from. He added: "With this particular shower you could expect to see maybe 10 to 15 an hour at the peak, so it's not massively prolific… but if you've got a clear sky it's still very much worth it." The Lyrid meteor shower originates from the trail of Comet Thatcher, that was discovered in 1861. The meteor shower we see every year is the result of little pieces of debris left in Thatcher's wake. The comet last passed our solar system in the year it was discovered, leaving behind a large field of tiny pebbles that are usually no bigger than a grain of sand - which fall into the atmosphere and give us the annual display as the Earth orbits the sun. Thatcher orbits the sun once every 415 years and the Lyrid are named after the constellation Lyra, where their radiant point - the spot that they appear to come from - is located. The Lyrids have been observed and reported since 687 BC, and were first recorded by the Chinese. No other modern shower being recorded as far back in time. Comet Thatcher won't return to our skies until 2276 but its remnants will continue to dazzle stargazers on a yearly basis.
The Guardian
29-03-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Partial solar eclipse live: watch as moon to block part of sun for people in northern hemisphere
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Nicola Davis A partial solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, partially blocking out the sun's light. By contrast, in a total solar eclipse the moon completely blocks the sun's light. 'These eclipses, whether they be partial or total, it is effectively watching the clockwork of the solar system in action,' said the Royal Observatory astronomer Jake Foster. A partial solar eclipse will be visible across the northern hemisphere. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/REX/Shutterstock Share Sky-gazers across a broad swathe of the northern hemisphere will have a chance to see the moon take a bite out of the sun today when a partial solar eclipse sweeps from eastern Canada to Siberia. The partial eclipse, which is the first of the year and the 17th this century, will last around four hours from 8.50am GMT to 12.43pm GMT. Curious observers making sure to protect their eyes might be able to see the celestial show in most of Europe, as well as in some areas of northeastern North America and northwest Africa. Eclipses occur when the sun, moon and Earth all line up. When they perfectly align for a total solar eclipse, the moon fully blots out the sun's disc, creating an eerie twilight here on Earth. But that will not happen during Saturday's partial eclipse, which will instead turn the Sun into a crescent. 'The alignment is not perfect enough for the cone of shadow to touch the Earth's surface,' Paris Observatory astronomer Florent Deleflie told the AFP news agency. Because that shadow will 'remain in space, there will not be a total eclipse anywhere' on Earth, he said. At most, the Moon will cover around 90 percent of the Sun's disc. The best view will be from northeastern Canada and Greenland at the peak time of 10.47 GMT. We'll have a live stream for you to watch shortly… Share
