The first high-resolution footage of solar flux ropes on the sun has been revealed . In the fascinating video , twisting groups of magnetic fields can be seen writhing around . And with the new images it may be possible to further understand their evolution and how they cause space weather . Research led by a scientist at the New Jersey Institute of Technology has revealed the first high-resolution footage of a solar flux 'rope ' taking shape on the sun , shown in this still image . The new footage was revealed in a paper in Nature Communications led by Dr Haimin Wang from the New Jersey Institute of Technology . A solar flare accompanies the twisting flux rope in the footage , which moves around a common axis before bursting from the sun . They are essentially twisted bundles of magnetic field that extend out of and back into the surface across hundreds of kilometres . As common structures in the solar corona , they are thought to be the main cause of several types of solar weather - including solar flares and coronal mass ejections ( CMEs ) . The formation of a flux rope can take weeks , but the moment when it is flung into the atmosphere can take just a matter of hours . Solar flares can damage satellites and have an enormous financial cost . Astronauts are not in immediate danger because of the relatively low orbit of this manned mission . They do have to be concerned about cumulative exposure during space walks . The charged particles can also threaten airlines by disturbing the Earth 's magnetic field . Very large flares can even create currents within electricity grids and knock out energy supplies . A positive aspect , from an aesthetic point of view , is that the auroras are enhanced . Geomagnetic storms are more disruptive now than in the past because of our greater dependence on technical systems that can be affected by electric currents . In the video , twisting groups of magnetic fields writhe around a central axis , and the rope ultimately causes a bright flash - a solar flare - to form , shown here . Dr Wang and his colleagues made the findings using the 5.2ft ( 1.6 metres ) New Solar Telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory in California . They describe an S-shaped bundle of magnetic fields , from which a set of loops peel off and grow upward into a multi-stranded flux rope in just two minutes . Two flare ribbons also appear at the point where the rope joins the solar atmosphere . It is hoped the study , which shows a flux rope in unprecedented detail , could help increase understanding on how they form - and how they are related to solar eruptions . ‘ In the large scale , magnetic flux ropes are found in the interplanetary magnetic clouds , which may interact with Earth ’ s magnetic field to generate geomagnetic storms , ’ the researchers wrote in their paper . Solar flux ropes are common structures in the solar corona , and they are thought to be the main cause of several types of solar weather – including solar flares and coronal mass ejections ( CMEs ) , pictured .
the Jersey Institute of Technology research reveals stunning video . It shows a solar flare ' rope ' in shape on the surface . Twisting groups of magnetic fields writhe around a central pole . And the rope ultimately causes a bright flash - a solar flare - to form .