--- title: "A Huge “Canyon of Fire” Just Opened Up on the Sun" description: "A filament of plasma escaped the Sun over the weekend and left behind a \"canyon of fire,\" a deep ridge over 12,000 miles deep and ten times as long." date: "2022-04-06" modified: "2022-04-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/canyon-of-fire-sun" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "coronal mass ejection" - "Sun" - "the digest" - "the sun" --- # A Huge “Canyon of Fire” Just Opened Up on the Sun ![A filament of plasma escaped the Sun over the weekend and left behind a "canyon of fire," a deep ridge over 12,000 miles deep and ten times as long.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Canyon of Fire Hot gases swirling on the surface of the Sun are caught in an endless dance of roiling plasma that occasionally escapes our star's atmosphere and gets slingshotted out into the solar system, with some of it even wreaking havoc with the Earth's magnetic field. A filament of that plasma escaped the Sun over the weekend, leaving behind what [*Space Weather* is referring to]() as a "canyon of fire," a deep ridge over 12,000 miles deep and ten times as long — which, for those keeping score, is more than 13,000 times deeper than the Earth's Grand Canyon. The canyon itself may soon blast fragments of radiation in the form of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) toward the Earth, according to *Space Weather,* a reminder of the ferociousness of the celestial object that gave birth to our system's planets billions of years ago. ![]() ## Eye of the Storm Once this radiation hits our atmosphere, it could lead to a [geomagnetic storm](), a major disturbance in our planet's magnetosphere. While such an event sounds violent on paper, these storms are only likely to affect orbital systems like GPS and communications satellites, which can experience extra drag and potential errors in their radio signals during these events. The storms can also lead to geomagnetic induced currents that can potentially [lead to irreversible damage]() to power grids back on the surface. But one of the most common side effects of these CMEs hitting the Earth's surface is something far more benign: [stunning auroras](), lighting up the night sky in beautiful colors. For now, scientists await the onslaught of radiation caused by the latest CME — and, according to *Space Weather*, some of them are ready to hop on a plane and watch the spectacular show from above. **READ MORE:** [Sun spits filaments out from 'canyon of fire' as aurora forecast remains strong]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on the Sun:** *[Scientists Release Stunning Picture Taken Really Close to the Sun]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()