Scientists unveiled today some of the first 3-D images of the violent electrical storms that rage within the Sun’s atmosphere.In the new images, the electrified loops and charged particles that blow from the Sun’s surface seem to come to life. Besides the oohs-and-aahs, the results will help scientists track powerful solar eruptions and predict how they could affect Earth, similar to hurricane-tracking.
The pictures were snapped with two nearly identical observatories that orbit the Sun in tandem. Called STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory), the spacecraft were launched in October 2006, but it wasn’t until the end of March that the two observatories were separated by enough distance to allow them to generate the 3-D pictures. The technique is similar to how the offset between your eyes provides you with depth perception.
Link & Image: Space.com
Tags: Sun | 3D | Image
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