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The key difference of course is that a sunspot's
最关键的不同点在于太阳黑子
an awful lot bigger and so the total energy,
大得多，所以太阳磁场内
or the amount of energy in the magnetic field
所含的总能量大得惊人
on the sun is enormous but the field strength
但是任一部位的磁场强度
at any given locationis something you can hold in your hand.
和一般磁铁差不多
Sun spots are just the visible effect of magnetic fields
太阳黑子的形成是因为磁场强度过强
so strong that they can prevent the heat
以致阻挡热能
and light rising from the sun's interior.
及光线离开太阳内部
With the right viewing equipment
只要用合适的观测器材
you can even see the magnetic fields.
就能看到磁场
Magnetic loops arch off the surface,
磁力圈在太阳表面形成拱形
like iron filings around a bar magnet they're shapes
如同磁铁棒周围的铁屑
are mapped out by plasma heated to a million degrees.
一百万度的高热电浆勾勒出它们的形状
The largest are 200,000 kilometres high.
最大的磁力圈有20万公里高
And they are packed full of unstable energy.
饱含不稳定能量
When you add up the total energy content
要是把磁力圈的能量加总起来
in these loops it comes out to roughly 10 to the 21 joules
约可得到10的21次方焦耳
of energy and that's roughly ten times the annual energy
约相当于美国年度消耗
consumption of the united states.
能量的十倍
Of course we can see thousands of them at any one time.
我们不论何时都能看到数以千计的磁力圈
The loops are caused by the twisting
磁力圈是因太阳
of the sun's basic magnetic field.
基本磁场的扭曲所致
Because the sun rotates faster at the equator
因为太阳的赤道旋转速度比两极快
than at the poles it drags the field lines with it
所以磁力线因受到拉扯
stretching and twisting them like elastic bands.
而像橡皮筋般地拉长、扭曲
As the solar cycle goes on the fields get more
随着太阳周期的进展
and more twisted and break through the surface.
磁场扭曲得越来越严重并突破表面
Until at Solar Max the whole sun is covered
到了太阳活动极大期时，整个太阳覆满了
in loops stretched to breaking point.
伸展至断裂点的磁力圈
Solar flares are what happen
若拉力过大，导致磁力圈断裂
when the strain gets too much and the loops snap.
就会产生太阳闪焰
Basically all that energy comes out of the catastrophic
基本上此时磁场会一股脑地
release of energy that's been stored in the magnetic fields.
释放其储存的能量
So like if you wind up an elastic band too much,
好比说把橡皮筋拉得太紧
if you let it go with your fingers
手一放开
that elastic band flies across the room.
就会飞到房间的另一头
When the energy bound within sunspots is released,
被局限在太阳黑子内的能量一旦释放
billions of tonnes of plasma are fired
数十亿噸的电浆便会
far into space at huge speeds.
高速喷向太空
And sometimes they are aimed straight for the Earth.
有时它们朝着地球直扑而来
The flares fly through space for 2 days.
闪焰在太空中前进两天
When they reach us
它们抵达地球时
the earth's own magnetic field deflects most of the blow.
大半会因地球的磁场而转向
But it is the impact on the magnetic field
但闪焰对磁场造成的冲击
which causes the effects on Earth.
影响了地球
It's called Space weather
这种现象叫做太空天气
and the best of its effects are magical.
而且有时候会产生如梦似幻的结果
