AT any instant, 3000 explosions are taking place on the Sun. The explosions,
which are about the size of the Earth, appear all over the Sun and last for
several minutes.
Observations by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) revealed the
explosions, which scientists have dubbed 鈥渂linkers鈥�. Like solar flares, they
probably occur when twisted magnetic fields suddenly rearrange themselves. 鈥淚t鈥檚
like a magnetic catapult,鈥� says Richard Harrison of the Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory in Oxfordshire, who is one of the SOHO team. The explosions may help
solve some puzzles about the Sun, such as why its outer layers are unexpectedly
hot.