Study reveals how coronal rain forms on the Sun
A new 2025 study has finally cracked the code on "coronal rain"—that dramatic moment when superhot plasma in the Sun's outer layer cools down and falls back to its surface.
Scientists at the University of Hawai'i found that shifts in elements like iron and silicon play a big role in making this happen, changing how we understand our star.
Research shows coronal rain forms in just 35 minutes
By updating their models to include these shifting elements, researchers could match real-life observations—showing coronal rain forms in just 35 minutes.
As co-author Luke Benavitz pointed out, older models missed this because they assumed things stayed constant.
This discovery means solar science just got a little more complicated (and interesting), paving the way for deeper insights into how the Sun really works.