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Two Huge Holes In the Sun Spotted

Posted by timothy on from the need-that-like-a-hole-the-sun dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Japanese scientists have spotted two huge holes on the sun's magnetic field, and it appears there is some reason to be concerned about. The holes, called coronal holes, are gateways for solar material and gas to spill out into space, according to space.com. The gaps in the sun's magnetic field make a hole through its atmosphere, letting gas out, NASA has said."

6 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. sure by larry+bagina · · Score: 1, Funny

    *sniff *sniff*
    "The Sun did it".
    We all know it was Cowboy Neil.

    --
    Do you even lift?

    These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.

  2. Exactly. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I have a hole, gas comes out, but it doesn't do much to harm Earth.

    1. Re:Exactly. by by+(1706743) · · Score: 3, Funny

      Clouds actually do NOT contribute. Having a high albedo, they reflect a lot of incoming sunlight back into space.

      Am I the only one who often misreads/mispronounces "albedo" as "libido"?

      I guess that could send the wrong message to friends when you're sitting outside staring at the moon and commenting on its reflectivity...

  3. Don't panic by vmxeo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't freak out that there's now an opening in the corona. Freak out when a celestial lime slice gets wedged it.

    --
    Shameless plug for my photos on Flickr
  4. Re:So... by mysidia · · Score: 1, Funny

    Why is there reason to be "concerned"? It is an interesting find, but that solar gas won't do much to harm Earth.

    The concern is that gas escape from our sun might actually burn out and go red giant in 5.4 billion years instead of 5.5 billion years, reducing the lifetime of earth by perhaps 200000000 years or so.

  5. Re:And the concern is...? by RightwingNutjob · · Score: 4, Funny

    For years man has yearned to destroy the sun. Now he has a reason: self-defense.