Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 3 hrs ago
Solar Flare Ribbons May Reveal Hidden Magnetic Activity
Researchers studied bright ribbons linked to solar flares to learn more about what happens during these powerful explosions on the Sun.
The work focuses on the Sun’s corona, its outer layer, where flares begin but are difficult to observe because of the Sun’s glare.
Flare ribbons form when high-energy particles follow magnetic field lines and hit a lower layer of the Sun, making bright marks.
The team measured changes in the ribbons’ small-scale patterns, which could reveal processes taking place higher up in the corona.
Solar flares can disrupt radio communications and GPS, while accompanying eruptions can affect power grids.
Better ways to study flares could help researchers understand their dynamics and the risks they may pose to technology on Earth and in space.
Researchers say small structures in solar flare ribbons may reveal magnetic activity in the Sun’s corona that is difficult to observe directly.
The study examined how flare ribbons and their substructures change over time, seeking clues about magnetic reconnection.
Flare ribbons form when plasma and high-energy particles follow magnetic field lines and collide with the Sun’s chromosphere.
The research was published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Solar flares can disrupt communications, affect GPS accuracy and damage spacecraft electronics, while accompanying coronal mass ejections can disrupt power grids.
- Who
- The research team was led by Marcel Corchado Albelo, of the U.S. National Science Foundation and an ambassador for the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope.
- What
- The researchers studied the changing structures of solar flare ribbons as possible clues to magnetic reconnection in the corona.
- When
- Universe Today published its article on October 21, 2026. The study’s publication date is not stated.
- Where
- The research concerns the Sun, particularly its corona and chromosphere.
- Why
- The corona is difficult to observe directly, so the researchers investigated whether flare ribbon structures could reveal processes there.
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- Lead author
- Marcel Corchado Albelo
- Research journal
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Flare categories
- A, B, C, M and X
- Image date
- March 12, 2016
- Article publication
- October 21, 2026
What people are saying
It’s a beautiful example of theory, observation, and collaboration coming together...
Recent three-dimensional flare models suggest that flare ribbon substructure is linked to the fragmentation of the reconnecting current sheet in the corona
Flare ribbon substructure can therefore potentially serve as a unique diagnostic tool for physical processes in the flare current sheet.