sun
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Physics
China’s ‘artificial sun’ sets record for nuclear fusion power generation
An experimental advanced superconducting tokamak achieved a remarkable scientific milestone by sustaining steady-state, highly confined plasma operation for 1,066 seconds. Credit: HFIPS The Advanced Superconducting Tokamak Experimental Station (EAST), commonly known as China’s “artificial sun,” has achieved a remarkable scientific milestone by sustaining steady-state, highly confined plasma operation for an astonishing 1,066 seconds. . The achievement, achieved on Monday, sets…
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Space & Cosmos
NASA spacecraft passes by the sun for closest approach in history
Illustration courtesy of NASA/Johns Hopkins APL shows an artist’s vision for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. NASA’s pioneering Parker Solar Probe made history Tuesday by flying closer to the sun than any other spacecraft, with a heat shield exposed to scorching heat of more than 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit (930 degrees Celsius). I made it. Launched in August 2018, the spacecraft is…
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Space & Cosmos
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe aims to get closer to the sun than ever before
This image released by NASA is an artist’s depiction of the Parker Solar Probe as it approaches the Sun. It’s designed to withstand the sun like never before, thanks to an innovative heat shield that can withstand 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,370 degrees Celsius). Credit: Steve Gribben/Johns Hopkins University APL/NASA, via AP, File NASA’s spacecraft aims to fly closer to the…
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Space & Cosmos
Video: Our Sun is the star of a new simulation
Credit: NASA NASA’s supercomputers are unraveling the causes of some of the sun’s most complex behaviors. Now, using data from a series of solar observing spacecraft observing the star at the center of our solar system, researchers are able to investigate the dynamics of the sun in an unprecedented way. This animation shows the strength of the turbulent motion in…
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Space & Cosmos
The sun reaches its maximum in the 11-year solar cycle
Images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory highlight what the Sun looks like during solar minimum (left, December 2019) and solar maximum (right, May 2024). These images are at 171 wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light and reveal active regions of the Sun that are commonly seen during solar maxima. Credit: NASA/SDO Representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),…
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Science
The sun releases its strongest flare this cycle
Image of the X9 flare on October 3, 2024, observed in extreme ultraviolet light. Credit: NASA/SDO Yesterday, the sun released a huge solar flare heading toward Earth. Don’t worry, it’s not quite as big as the 1859 Carrington event, but it’s still big enough to provide some spectacular aurora borealis viewing. Large solar flares occur regularly. Quite literally, the sun…
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