Above the chromosphere lies the corona ("crown"), extending outward from the Sun in the form of the "solar wind" to the edge of the solar system. The corona is extremely hot - millions of degrees kelvin. Since it is physically impossible to transfer thermal energy from the cooler surface of the Sun to the much hotter corona, the source of coronal heating has been a scientific mystery for more than 60 years. Scientists believe that energy transfer has to be in the form of waves or magnetic energy. Likely solutions have emerged from recent SOHO and TRACE satellite observations, which found evidence for the upward transfer of magnetic energy from the Sun's surface toward the corona above. Researchers in NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Space Science theme study these myserious phenomena.
Courtesy NASA |
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