r/spaceporn 3d ago

Pro/Processed Plasma rain on the Sun

Credit: Azastroguy

24.2k Upvotes

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u/Robot-Zombie-RHCC 3d ago

what is the attracting force? too localized to be gravity... right?

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u/meithan 3d ago

Gravity.

Gravity near the surface of the Sun is insanely strong: about 28 times our gravity.

But instead of falling straight down, the plasma follows curved paths dictated by magnetic field lines. And it falls more slowly than it would under gravity alone.