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Credit & Copyright: TRACE Project,
NASA
Explanation:
It was a quiet day on the
Sun.
The above image shows, however, that even during off days the
Sun's surface is a busy place.
Shown in ultraviolet light, the relatively
cool dark regions have temperatures of thousands of degrees
Celsius.
Large sunspot group AR 9169 from the last
solar cycle is
visible as the bright area near the horizon.
The bright glowing gas
flowing around the
sunspots
has a temperature of over one million degrees
Celsius.
The reason for the high temperatures is
unknown
but thought to be related to the rapidly changing
magnetic field loops that channel solar plasma.
Large
sunspot group AR 9169 moved across the
Sun during 2000 September and decayed in a few weeks.
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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 - sunspot - ultraviolet
Publications with words: Sun - sunspot - ultraviolet
See also:
- APOD: 2024 September 2 Á A Triangular Prominence Hovers Over the Sun
- APOD: 2024 August 18 Á A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO
- APOD: 2024 August 4 Á Gaia: Here Comes the Sun
- APOD: 2024 July 28 Á Sun Dance
- Prominences and Filaments on the Active Sun
- APOD: 2024 May 28 Á Solar X Flare as Famous Active Region Returns
- APOD: 2024 May 26 Á A Solar Filament Erupts