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Credit & Copyright: Alan Friedman
(Averted Imagination)
Explanation:
Dramatic prominences can sometimes be seen looming just beyond the edge of the sun.
Such was the case last week as a giant prominence,
visible above on the right, highlighted a Sun showing increased
activity as it comes off an unusually quiet Solar
Minimum.
A changing carpet of hot gas is visible in the
chromosphere
of the Sun in the
above image taken in a very
specific color
of light emitted by hydrogen.
A solar prominence is a cloud of solar gas held
just above the surface by the
Sun's magnetic field.
The Earth would easily fit below the
prominence on the right.
Although very hot, prominences typically
appear dark when viewed against the
Sun,
since they are slightly cooler than the surface.
A quiescent prominence
typically lasts about a month, and may
erupt in a
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) expelling hot gas into the
Solar System.
The next day, the
same prominence looked slightly different.
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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 - prominence
Publications with words: Sun - 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