Gamma ray image of the Sun taken in the energy range 100-500MeV by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) onboard the Compton Observator

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Gamma ray image of the Sun taken in the energy range 100-500MeV by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) onboard the Compton Observatory satellite. The image comes from a four hour exposure and was taken on June 11th 1991 after a solar flare. The flare was seen for a few minutes at the optical wavelengths but persisted for five hours at gamma ray energies. The gamma emission is produced when highly energetic protons collide with other particles. The timelapse between the optical and gamma ray emission may indicate that these protons are trapped in the magnetic field present in the Sun's atmosphere and escape at a slower rate.

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Size: 3927px × 4887px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: astronomy, compton, cosmology, flare, gamma, image, obs, ray, science, solar, sun, suns, surface