AR9077: Solar Magnetic Arcade
Credit & Copyright: TRACE,
Stanford-Lockheed ISR,
NASA
Explanation:
On
July 14th,
solar
active region 9077
(AR9077) produced
a
massive flare.
The event also
blasted an enormous
cloud of
energetic charged particles toward planet Earth, triggering
magnetic storms and
dramatic
auroral displays.
This striking close-up of AR9077 was made by the orbiting
TRACE
satellite shortly after the flare erupted.
It shows million degree hot solar plasma cooling down while
suspended in an arcade of
magnetic loops.
The
false-color image covers an expansive
230,000 by 170,000 kilometer area on the Sun's surface
(
Earth's diameter
is about 12,800 kilometers) and was
recorded in extreme ultraviolet light.
Collectively resembling a
popular
"slinky" toy, the enormous loops
are actually
magnetic field lines which
trap the glowing, cooling
plasma
above the relatively dark solar surface.
After the flare, AR9077's activity decayed as it was carried
farther across the Earth-facing hemisphere of the
Sun by
solar rotation.
Active regions
like AR9077
appear as groups of dark
sunspots in visible light.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
