Did a Piece of the Sun Really Break Off?

What’s this news about the Sun?

Reports say that a part of the Sun's surface has broken off, forming a tornado-like swirl near the North Pole. A recent video showed one of the Sun's solar flares, also known as prominences, breaking off and circling in a "large polar vortex."

Solar flares are like huge fireworks displays that blast out from the surface of the Sun. This explosion of energy travels through space after being released by the Sun. If the energy from a solar flare reaches Earth, it can damage modern equipment like satellites.

Okay! Did a piece of the Sun really break off?

Recent news stories claiming that parts of the Sun have broken are false. No pieces have broken off from the Sun. A normal solar flare was spotted breaking out and spinning around over the Sun's north pole. This caused many media sites to refer to it as "a part of the Sun breaking off." However, it was just a regular prominence showing unusual activity.

Scientists are puzzled by the prominence's unusual activity. They cannot say why the solar flare spun around the Sun’s north pole in a vortex because there are no images of the Sun's polar regions. This could change soon, since the European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter spacecraft is expected to enter an orbit around the Sun in February 2025.

This will help in the capture of the first images of the Sun's polar regions. Many people may be wondering why the James Webb telescope isn't being used to take pictures of the Sun. There are reasons for not doing so.

Why isn’t the James Webb telescope pointed at the sun?

The James Webb telescope is designed to detect low light from faraway stars and galaxies. It has provided the clearest and most detailed image of the universe. However, it cannot be used to observe the Sun because it is always pointed away from it and includes a Sun shield to protect its optics from sunlight damage.

What did we learn from this article?

We learned that not everything we read on the internet is accurate. So, don’t simply believe everything you read on the internet or in forwarded messages, because it could be incorrect information. You should always get your news from reliable sources.