Hinode Takes an X-Ray of a Powerful Solar Flare

Hinode Takes an X-Ray of a Powerful Solar Flare
NASA ID: XRT20170910_Al_poly_noaxis
On Sept. 10, 2017, the Hinode satellite observed an enormous X-class flare burst from an active region on the western edge of the Sun. The video shows the high-energy flare as seen by Hinode's X-Ray Telescope. The emission was so bright that the initial blast caused the detector to saturate. The giant explosion sent a huge cloud of superhot plasma zooming into interplanetary space -- a phenomenon known as a coronal mass ejection. Studying large flares like this one with a variety of instruments is key to understanding exactly what causes these dramatic eruptions, and one day predicting them before they occur.
Date Created:2017-09-10
Center:MSFC
Keywords: NASA , Marshall Space Flight Center , MSFC , Hinode , x-ray telescope , sun , solar flare
Secondary Creator Credit: JAXA/NASA/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory/Montana State University
Location:Sun
Photographer:JAXA/NASA/Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory/Montana State University
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