07/19/2013

Eruptions on the Sun Set Off ‘Solar Tsunamis’

5:59 minutes

Two recent eruptions on the sun sent solar tsunamis sweeping across its surface. Physicist David Long reported on the tsunamis in the journal Solar Physics, and he says the waves allowed him to calculate the magnetic field of a “quiet” area on the solar surface, which is 10 times weaker than a fridge magnet.

Segment Guests

David Long

David Long is a solar physicist at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London in Surrey, U.K.

Meet the Producer

About Christopher Intagliata

Christopher Intagliata was Science Friday’s senior producer. He once served as a prop in an optical illusion and speaks passable Ira Flatowese.