Solar Eruption (IMAGE)

American Physical Society

Solar Eruption

Caption

An erupting "prominence" is observed using photons at wavelength 304 Å. A prominence typically outlines the trailing part of a larger CME flux rope structure. The striated plasma filaments are organized by magnetic fields into strands of a "rope." In this snapshot, the apex is at about 300,000 km above the solar surface, a distance equal to about 24 Earths placed side by side. Image obtained at 07:19 UT, Sept. 14, 1999, by the EIT instrument on the SOHO spacecraft. Both SOHO and STEREO are cooperative missions between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.

Credit

European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA

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