Coronal Holes
Q. Which of the following is/are true regarding Coronal holes on the Sun?
1) Coronal holes are high-density regions of the Sun’s atmosphere.
2) They have lower temperatures, thus appearing much darker than their surroundings.- Published on 01 Jun 16a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: Only 2
- Coronal holes are areas on the Sun where the solar magnetic field extends up and out into interplanetary space, sending solar material speeding out in a high-speed stream of solar wind.
- Coronal holes are low-density regions of the Sun’s atmosphere, known as the corona. They contain little solar material and have lower temperatures, thus appearing much darker than their surroundings.
- Coronal holes are visible in certain types of extreme ultraviolet light, which is typically invisible to our eyes.
- These coronal holes are important to understand the space environment around Earth through which technology and astronauts travel.
- Coronal holes are the source of a high-speed wind of solar particles that streams off the Sun around three times faster than the slower wind elsewhere.
