Source of Solar Energetic Particles Detected
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Text, News From The Universe. March 31, 2021
Source of Solar Energetic Particles Detected
Solar energetic particles from the Sun are one of the main challenges for the future of human spaceflight.
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The super-fast particles can fry sensitive spacecraft electronics and pose serious risks to astronauts.
The specific origins of hazardous solar energetic particles has been a mystery - until now.
NASA and Japan's JAXA space agency teamed up to discover the make-up of the particles and trace them back to the Sun.
In a surprise, the particles had somehow broken free from strong magnetic loops connected to the Sun at both ends.
They were traced to the core of an active solar flare region with strong magnetic fields, the first direct evidence linking the particles with flares.
Scientist say this breakthrough is the first step to better forecasting of solar energetic particles and making human spacecraft safer.
This news was brought to you in part by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD