Solar Mystery Solved

Japanese spacecraft finds conclusive evidence of waves that make sun's corona much hotter than its surface

By Elizabeth K. Wilson

Department: Science & Technology

VIDEOS

This movie, taken by the Hinode spacecraft's Solar Optical Telescope, shows fine, horizontal threadlike structures that could be evidence for elusive Alfven electromagnetic waves, which propagate along electromagnetic lines in the corona.

Credit: � Science

ViIDEOS

This movie, taken by the Hinode spacecraft's X-ray telescope, shows the sun's north polar jet.

Credit: � Science