Solar Flares Cause Sun Quakes
An 11th magnitude
quake has been recorded on the Sun, immediately following a moderate
solar flare.
The quake was the first ever recorded on the
Sun, but only because astronomers have only
recently figured out when and how to find
them using the orbiting SOHO spacecraft. Dark waves from the quake can
be seen in the above picture spreading out from an
explosive bright flare. The solar ripples are similar in
appearance to waves caused by a rock thrown into a pond.
The magnitude and evolution of these quakes gives
information about the physical nature of solar flares, the surface of the
Sun,
and even the Sun's interior.