Solar Activity

The output of the Sun in all forms, light, solar wind, and energetic particles, is not constant. It varies with both time (seconds to centuries!) and position on the Sun. These changes are called solar activity and are probably reflections of changes below the Sun's surface. Scientists can study the output and how it varies to probe the workings of the Sun.

The Sun's energy output takes two main forms: electromagnetic radiation and the emission of charged particles. The charged particles that carry a portion of the Sun's energy include both the relatively low-energy plasma of the solar wind and high-energy particles which have been accelerated to velocities near the speed of light. Solar activity produces space weather that affects Earth.

Types of solar activity include:

Sunspots
Solar Flares
Coronal Mass Ejections
Coronal Holes
Solar Plumes
The Solar Cycle

SOHO Pick of the Week -- SOHO

Back to Sun

November 11, 2009: A lightning strike in Africa helps take the pulse of the Sun -- Tel Aviv University
October 27, 2009: The Sun's sneaky variability -- Science@NASA
October 20, 2009: A solar prominence erupts in STEREO -- APOD
October 6, 2009: STEREO captures Sun's eruption -- NASA
October 4, 2009: Streams of the Sun -- Astrobiology Magazine
September 22, 2009: EVE: Measuring the Sun's hidden variability -- NASA
July 2, 2009: AGU journal highlights -- #9 -- Eurekalert
May 31, 2009: A solar prominence from SOHO -- APOD
April 25, 2009: Space missions to visit the Sun -- UK Telegraph
March 15, 2009: A prominent solar prominence from SOHO -- APOD
January 23, 2009: NASA sees the 'dark side' of the Sun -- Science@NASA
January 7, 2009: Danger ahead as the Sun goes quiet -- New Scientist
December 25, 2008: Solar mission launch starts busy year for Russia's space agency -- RIA Novosti
November 2, 2008: Spicules: Jets on the Sun -- APOD
October 4, 2008: A solar prominence unfurls -- APOD
September 24, 2008: Active Region 1002 on an unusually quiet Sun -- APOD
June 5, 2008: Sun's corona puts a twist on its pitches -- Sky & Telescope
June 3, 2008: Giant "tornadoes" seen erupting from the sun -- National Geographic
June 1, 2008: A twisted solar eruptive prominence -- APOD
February 6, 2008: A sunspot in the new solar cycle -- APOD
January 2, 2008: Third instrument for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory arrviese at Goddard -- NASA GSFC
November 28, 2007: UNH scientists report first findings on key astrophysics problem -- Eurekalert
May 30, 2007: News from your favorite star -- Astronomy.com
April 27, 2007: NOAA announces next solar storm cycle will likely start next March -- EurekAlert!
April 25, 2007: The quest to predict the next space "hurricane" season -- NASA GSFC
March 22, 2007: Hinode studies the Sun -- Astronomy.com
March 21, 2007: Solar activity won't break drought -- Australian Broadcasting Company
February 19, 2007: Surprises from the Sun's south pole -- European Space Agency
February 6, 2007: Sun storm: a coronal mass ejection -- NASA GSFC APOD
January 25, 2007: Twin spacecraft swing past Moon to prepare for 3-D solar studies -- SpaceDaily
January 4, 2007: 1000th orbit for the Cluster mission -- SpaceDaily

Solar activity news from 2006 and earlier