Japan launches Sun 'microscope'

[Rick]

Scientists have high hopes for Japan's Solar-B mission which has just been launched from the Uchinoura spaceport.

The spacecraft will investigate the colossal explosions in the Sun's atmosphere known as solar flares.

These dramatic events release energy equivalent to tens of millions of hydrogen bombs in just a few minutes.

The probe will attempt to find out more about the magnetic fields thought to power solar flares, and try to identify the trigger that sets them off.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/5371162.stm