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Credit & Copyright: STEREO Project,
NASA
Explanation:
On September 29, this magnificent eruptive solar
prominence lifted away from
the Sun's surface,
unfurling into space over the course of several hours.
Suspended in twisted
magnetic fields,
the
hot plasma structure is many times
the size of planet Earth and
was captured in this view by the Sun-watching
STEREO
(Ahead) spacecraft.
The image was recorded in extreme ultraviolet light emitted
by ionized Helium, an element
originally identified in the solar spectrum.
Seen against the brilliant solar surface in visible light,
such prominences appear as dark
filaments because they are relatively cool.
But they are bright themselves when viewed
against the blackness of space, arcing above the Sun's edge.
A video of the eruption (a 2.6MB .mov file) is
available here.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Sun - solar prominence
Publications with words: Sun - solar prominence
See also:
- APOD: 2024 February 19 Á Looking Sideways from the Parker Solar Probe
- Circling the Sun
- APOD: 2023 December 11 Á Solar Minimum versus Solar Maximum
- APOD: 2023 November 19 Á Space Station, Solar Prominences, Sun
- APOD: 2023 October 25 Á Gone in 60 Seconds: A Green Flash Sunset
- Circular Sun Halo
- APOD: 2023 August 1 Á Monster Solar Prominence