This week, a Nasa satellite photographed what looked to be a joyful face pattern on the sun, leading the US space agency to declare that the sun was “smiling.”
The image was posted by the organization on Twitter on Wednesday with the caption: “Today, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the sun “smiling.” These shadowy areas on the sun, known as coronal holes when viewed in ultraviolet light, are places where swift solar wind blasts out into space.
The purpose of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory is to learn more about how solar activity develops and influences space weather. The observatory’s spacecraft, which was first launched on February 11, 2010, measures the sun’s interior, atmosphere, magnetic field, and energy output.
Since its publication, Nasa’s photo has received a flood of internet comments, with many people comparing it to a carved Halloween pumpkin, a lion, and the sun from the kids’ television program Teletubbies.
Is that the Stay Puft marshmallow man from Ghostbusters, a user asked in response.
Another person compared the sun to BN Mini chocolate cookies, which also have happy faces on them.
Despite the sun’s appearance of friendliness, researchers caution that its coronal holes may indicate a solar storm that will reach Earth on Saturday. A triple torrent of solar wind is being emitted toward Earth, according to Spaceweather.com.
The magnetic field of the planet is bent by various eruptions of mass and energy from the solar surface known as solar storms. The polar lights, also known as auroras, become more visible as a result of these storms in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
