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NASA Sun & Space Profile picture
NASA Sun & Space
@NASASun
We study the Sun and its effects on Earth and other worlds, helping protect astronauts, satellites, and more. Verification: https://t.co/hzwST9WxPw
Aug 6 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
On April 24, 2023, auroras lit up the night sky as far south as Arizona.

This rare light show happened because a huge solar eruption had reached Earth.

Scientists now report something even stranger happened during that event. ⬇️

📸 courtesy William Frohne A photo of a pink aurora borealis in a dark, cloudy sky. Traffic lights and cars appear near the horizon. For a brief period during the storm, a two-way “highway” formed between the Sun and Earth.

In other words, the usual one-way flow from the Sun to Earth suddenly went both directions: For about two hours, Earth was also spewing particles back into the Sun!
Jun 13 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
How do you draw a pride flag? 🤔

With SCIENCE!

This flag is a composite of NASA imagery of phenomena from Earth and far, far beyond it. Details below ⬇️

Credit: Rachel Lense Multi-color pride flag created using imagery from NASA. White: Cloud vortices off Heard Island (south Indian Ocean)
Taken 11/02/2015 by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua Earth-observing satellite mission
go.nasa.gov/3VmM059
May 16 • 10 tweets • 4 min read
With all the solar activity lately, we’re answering key questions about solar storms and their effects on Earth.

Today’s question is: Can we predict solar storms? 🤔

The answer is: It depends…⬇️ If you mean “Do we know a solar eruption is going to happen before it does?” then the answer is no.

Predicting solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) before they happen is still beyond our capabilities, though many scientists are working on it.
May 11 • 8 tweets • 3 min read
Why do we get auroras on Earth after eruptions occur on the Sun? A thread. 🧵

⬇️⬇️⬇️

(Images:
Left: a solar flare captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Right: Aurora seen from Lummi Island, Washington, at 10:54 p.m. PT on May 10, 2024. Credit: Jeff Carter)
A view of a solar flare on the Sun from NASA's solar dynamics observatory
Aurora seen from Lummi Island, Washington, at 10:54 p.m. PT on May 10, 2024. The sky above a lake and mountain skyline is awash with green and purple light. Credit: Jeff Carter There are two things we call solar eruptions: solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). They often occur together, but not always.

Solar flares are intense flashes of light — a result of the Sun’s complex magnetic fields abruptly rearranging themselves.
Nov 9, 2017 • 11 tweets • 6 min read
September was 🔥 on the Sun! It released 31 sizable solar flares and several coronal mass ejections in just 5 days. We and our partners are always watching the Sun, so we saw these events from several perspectives. Thread 👇 First things first: A solar flare is powerful burst of light radiation, and intense flares can interfere with communications.

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a cloud of solar material + magnetic fields. They can spark #aurora.