APOD 1.1 -Hole In the Sun

The Sun often appears to have dark spots or "holes" on its surface (the corona). These coronal holes happen in large magnetic fields and are caused by lower density and temperatures that exist there.Usually, the poles of the Sun are the only areas with the conditions for coronal holes, but occasionally the magnetic fields shift further down the hemispheres. A constant stream of plasma streams out of the holes at extremely fast and powerful speeds (nearly a million miles per hour), creating solar winds that move away from the sun on magnetic field lines. The coronal holes and auroral displays are visible to the people on Earth when the solar wind is facing it. The holes are dectected by ultra-violet and x-ray light cameras. Solar winds have stormy affects on Earth and everything in its atmosphere, including spaceships, weather and flight patterns.