<h5>What’s this news about the Sun?</h5>  <p>The sun has always been a thing of fascination for scientists. And now, there are reports going around that a large part of the Sun's surface broke off (what!). This caused a tornado-like swirl around its North Pole. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the moment.</p>
<p>The Sun sometimes releases solar flares which are also known as prominences. A recent video shows a massive electrified gas from a northern prominence erupting from the sun, breaking off, and then circling in a "vast polar vortex."</p>
<p>Solar flares are like massive fireworks displays that project outward from the Sun’s surface. This explosion of energy travels through space after being released by the Sun. If it reaches Earth, the energy from the solar flare might disrupt modern equipment, such as satellites and electric supply.
</p> <h5>Okay! Did a piece of the Sun really break off?</h5>  <p>Over the last few days, the Internet has seen some crazy headlines about bits of the Sun breaking off. Fortunately, none of this is true, and no part of the Sun has broken off. But something cool did really happen. A regular prominence or solar flare was observed doing something unusual.</p>
<p>A prominence broke free and swirled around over the Sun's north pole. We told you earlier that prominences are very common, but this one spun around the Sun's polar area, making this an unusual event. Many media sites referred to this vortex as "a piece of the Sun breaking off."</p>
<p>Scientists are puzzled about why this has happened because they lack photographs of the Sun's polar regions. However, this might change soon, as the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter spacecraft will enter an orbit around the Sun in February 2025.</p>
<p>This will help in getting the first photographs of the Sun's polar regions. Many might ask why the James Webb telescope is not being used to take pictures of the Sun. There are reasons for not doing so.</p> <h5>Why isn’t the James Webb telescope pointed at the sun?</h5> <figure>
        <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/newsahoot.appspot.com/o/scientists-stunned-after-a-large-piece-of-the-sun-breaks-off%2Fimage-of-the-james-webb-telescope-before-it-was-launched.jpg?alt=media&token=70dbb239-5243-4bce-9a0e-8705ad78b811" alt="Why isn’t the James Webb telescope pointed at the sun?" >
        <figcaption>An image of the James Webb telescope before it was launched. Photo by NASA.</figcaption>
      </figure> <p>The James Webb telescope is a telescope that has been built to detect very low light from distant stars and galaxies. Using this telescope, NASA has been able to take the cleanest and most detailed image of the distant universe ever.</p>
<p>But, it is always aimed away from the Sun, and it has a massive Sun shield to prevent any sunlight from getting near its optics or even slightly heating them. The telescope’s optics would be destroyed if it were directed at the Sun.
</p> <h5>What did we learn from this article?</h5>  <p>We learned that not everything we read on the internet is accurate. Sometimes, such headlines are created to generate more attention. So, it's better to do your own research before coming to a conclusion about something.</p>

Recently, the internet was abuzz with the news that a piece of the sun has broken off. Let’s read to find out what really happened.

Did a Piece of the Sun Really Break Off?

Hootcoins for this article have expired!

Seawater Used to Create Hydrogen Fuel

Hilton is Building Hotel Rooms in Space

India Plans to Launch Its First Human Space Flight

Did a Piece of the Sun Really Break Off?

Hootcoins for this article have expired!

Did you read these articles?

Seawater Used to Create Hydrogen Fuel

Hilton is Building Hotel Rooms in Space

India Plans to Launch Its First Human Space Flight