You see a coronal magnetic field line model created by the National Solar Observatory. Such a picture can be observed during the eclipse of August 21, 2017. The solar disk is hidden, leaving only the magnetic structure in sight. Solar wind flows along open field lines. Closed and open lines are displayed in white and dark gray.
August 21 is the event of a total solar eclipse, which will take place throughout America. This is not just an interesting phenomenon, but also of scientific importance. The crown will appear in the form of a fuzzy halo around a star, but it will convey a lot of information about the structure.
Scientists believe that today's observations can be used to model the future form of the corona. If we are lucky, it will not change very much, but a large active area will seem. It is expected to see weak straight structures in the north and south poles. The magnetic field is located inside the Sun and appears on the surface in the form of traces - sunspots. Using hot gases in the solar atmosphere, one can trace the magnetic field lines. Under normal circumstances, the crown is hidden from observers, but during an eclipse it shows itself.
Between the maximum and minimum of solar energy, the corona changes its shape. In the first case, it resembles a thorny ring, and in the second it acquires a small formation near the equator. The eclipse of August 21 will allow you to follow the crown for a full 90 minutes!
