A Strange and Unusual Vortex Was Spotted Around the Sun's North Pole
Astronomers have spotted plasma filaments erupting from the Sun's surface, breaking away and forming an unusual vortex above the star's north pole.
Talk about Polar Vortex! Material from a northern prominence just broke away from the main filament & is now circulating in a massive polar vortex around the north pole of our Star. Implications for understanding the Sun's atmospheric dynamics above 55° here cannot be overstated! pic.twitter.com/1SKhunaXvP
— Dr. Tamitha Skov (@TamithaSkov) February 2, 2023
In early February, material from the Sun's northern prominence suddenly broke away from the main filament and circled its north pole like a vortex of powerful winds. According to scientists, this phenomenon will seriously impact the understanding of the Sun's atmospheric dynamics.
A prominence is a large and bright plasma and magnetic formation that rises above the surface of the Sun, often in a loop shape. Prominences consist of electrically charged hydrogen and helium and, at some point, usually become unstable and burst outward, releasing the plasma.
Researchers explain that the Sun is now increasing its activity, but this is not a cause for concern. Such activity cycles occur quite frequently and coincide with fluctuations in the Sun's magnetic field.