Enormous vortices have been observed on the sun that resemble tornadoes. They have been called "solar tornadoes" but they are not tornadoes by the meteorological definition.
The sun's heat creates temperature differences in the atmosphere which lead to the formation of thunderstorms. These thunderstorms can then spawn tornadoes when strong horizontal winds interact with the updraft of the storm, leading to the rotation and eventual development of a tornado.
Not usually. Tornadoes form during thunderstorms, so unless the sun is at a certain angle, then clouds between the tornado and the sun prevent it from casting a shadow.
A solar tornado, also known as a solar prominence or solar filament, is a real phenomenon on the Sun. It consists of relatively cool, dense plasma that is suspended in the Sun's hot outer atmosphere by magnetic fields. These structures can be thousands of kilometers in size and are important for understanding solar dynamics.
Sometimes. Tornadoes form during thunderstorms and it is difficult to cast a shadow with an overcast sky. In some cases, though, the sun shines in from the side and illuminates a tornado, in which case it would cast a shadow.
Tornadoes are sometimes divided into "weak" tornadoes "strong" and "violent" tornadoes. Weak tornadoes are those rated EF0 and EF1. Most tornadoes are weak. Strong tornadoes are those rated EF2 and EF3. Violent tornadoes are those rated EF4 and EF5. They are the rarest of tornadoes, only about 1% of tornadoes are this strong.
Enormous vortices have been observed on the sun that resemble tornadoes. They have been called "solar tornadoes" but they are not tornadoes by the meteorological definition.
It has recently been found that there are vortices on the sun that superficially resemble tornadoes, but they are not true tornadoes.
No. recently. In recent years astronomers have observed magnetic vortices on the sun that have been informally dubbed "solar tornadoes" but they are not actual tornadoes and are driven by different mechanisms from tornadoes on Earth.
No. There are enormous, magnetically-driven vortices of plasma on the sun that have been compared to tornadoes. However, these are not true tornadoes as they operate on entirely different mechanics.
The energy that powers tornadoes ultimately comes from the sun. The sun heats the earth's surface which in turn heats the lower atmosphere. This heat can lead to thunderstorms, which, under the right conditions, can produce tornadoes.
The sun's heat creates temperature differences in the atmosphere which lead to the formation of thunderstorms. These thunderstorms can then spawn tornadoes when strong horizontal winds interact with the updraft of the storm, leading to the rotation and eventual development of a tornado.
Not usually. Tornadoes form during thunderstorms, so unless the sun is at a certain angle, then clouds between the tornado and the sun prevent it from casting a shadow.
Not directly. However, as with all weather events, the energy that drives tornadoes ultimately comes from the sun.
Tornadoes can only form during thunderstorms, though sometimes the sun may peak through from the side to illuminate a tornado. Other than that, no. Sometimes dust devils will develop on sunny days. Dust devils are whirlwinds that look rather like tornadoes, but they are not. Dust devils are usually harmless.
Tornadoes develop from the large thunderstorms that most often happen in the late afternoon and early evening, after the days heating by the sun. However, tornadoes can happen at any time of day or night.
A solar tornado, also known as a solar prominence or solar filament, is a real phenomenon on the Sun. It consists of relatively cool, dense plasma that is suspended in the Sun's hot outer atmosphere by magnetic fields. These structures can be thousands of kilometers in size and are important for understanding solar dynamics.
Tornadoes need thunderstorms to form. However, the day may be sunny before the thunderstorms develop. As the sun heats the earth it also heats the lower atmosphere. This makes the atmosphere unstable, which can lead to thunderstorms. There are also whirlwinds called dust devils that can form on hot, sunny days. These somewhat resemble tornadoes but they are not actually tornadoes.