Story perspectives

Researchers Unravel Solar Rain Mystery, Improve Storm Predictions

10/16/2025

50 11

Summary

Story summary

Luke Benavitz, a graduate student, and Jeffrey Reep of the University of Hawai‘i Institute for Astronomy, solved the solar rain mystery in the Sun's corona.
They show that varying elemental abundances explain the rapid formation of coronal rain, not a constant distribution.
Traditional models underestimated cooling times, producing incorrect assumptions about coronal heating.
The findings, published in the Astrophysical Journal, could improve predictions of solar storms that affect Earth.

1 of 1

Story summary

Luke Benavitz, a graduate student, and Jeffrey Reep of the University of Hawai‘i Institute for Astronomy, solved the solar rain mystery in the Sun's corona.
They show that varying elemental abundances explain the rapid formation of coronal rain, not a constant distribution.
Traditional models underestimated cooling times, producing incorrect assumptions about coronal heating.
The findings, published in the Astrophysical Journal, could improve predictions of solar storms that affect Earth.