(WGNO) – Just in time for Halloween! NASA released an image fitting for the holiday today as solar flare activity looked eerily like a jack-o-lantern. The image was actually taken a few weeks ago on October 8 but NASA released it this afternoon on one of their Facebook pages.
So how exactly did this image form? The active regions of our Sun appear brighter because those are areas that emit more light and energy — markers of an intense and complex set of magnetic fields hovering in the sun’s atmosphere, the corona. This image blends together two sets of wavelengths at 171 and 193 Angstroms, typically colorized in gold and yellow, to create a particularly Halloween-like appearance. So yes, NASA specifically picked out the gold and yellow wavelengths to make the image it in more with the spooky theme, but it was the Sun’s natural activity that created and shaped the features we see as a face.
It’s not unusual to see shapes out in nature like this. Think about how many times the shape of a cloud reminds you of something familiar. Even celestial objects can remind us of animals and faces. One of the most famous, if not the most recognizable nebula known to man is in fact named after an animal: The Horsehead Nebula. There’s also the Crab Nebula and the Tarantula Nebulas as well.
Just remember that this solar activity on the Sun isn’t visible to the naked eye. So you won’t be able to see it by looking at the Sun. Also remember that it’s not good for you to stare directly into the Sun as it can cause permanent damage to your eyes.
