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STEREO Satellites Spot Solar Flare Tsunami

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the gonna-need-more-spf dept.

westtxfun writes "The STEREO satellites recently confirmed the existence of solar mega-tsunamis when they captured height data after a sunspot recently erupted. The scale of this tsunami literally dwarfs the Earth's diameter — it was 62,000 miles high and raced across the surface at 560,000 mph! STEREO A and B orbit 90 degrees apart and luckily, one was overhead while the other saw the eruption on the limb. This gave NASA scientists enough data to confirm the tsunami wasn't a shadow, solving a modern solar mystery. The images are simply stunning, to boot."

4 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Surf's up by Darth+Sdlavrot · · Score: 5, Funny

    kawabunga.

  2. Re:It is probably 62 miles by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah sorry, SOMEONE put a comma instead of a decimal. Growing trend.

  3. Too much gaming... by Taibhsear · · Score: 4, Funny

    Anyone else see the gifs and think "BOOM! HEADSHOT!"

  4. Re:Recent? Try February. by conspirator57 · · Score: 3, Funny

    (and I probably should've added a disclaimer earlier -- I work for the STEREO Science Center)

    I'm sorry, this is /. Primary sources are not allowed to be involved in the conjectural, ad hominem disputes that pose for debate on this forum. You are welcome to contribute to some other topic, provided that you know nothing about it. Have a nice day.

    --
    "If still these truths be held to be
    Self evident."
    -Edna St. Vincent Millay