Solar Prominences Recorded By NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory

Huge plasma blasts appear to explode off the sun's surface in a video released by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The SDO is part of a mission to better understand the effects activity on the sun could have on earth.

The blasts, called "solar prominences," were captured over a one day period between November 14 and 15. One skywatcher, who caught a glimpse of the interstellar drama through his telescope, described the plasma bursts as looking like Diplodocus, a long-necked dinosaur from the Late Jurassic period.

According to Wired, solar prominences are "relatively cool, dense strands of gas that erupt from the surface of the sun to follow the star's magnetic field, arcing and twisting before either collapsing back in or ejecting into space to become a solar flare."

These prominences are massive. In 2010, a solar filament was spotted that was 430,000 miles long, which is equal to the radius of the sun. A solar filament is the same as a solar prominence just seen from a different angle. When the strands of plasma are seen silhouetted against the sun they appear black and are called solar filaments. When the plasma loops are seen against the sky they glow and are referred to as solar prominences.

Although this prominence was one of the largest in recent years, NASA says this isn't surprising given that the sun's activity is on the rise. The sun's current cycle, Solar Cycle 24, is expected to reach its maximum level of activity in the middle of 2013.

Check out the massive solar prominence in action in the video below.

Comments

[Baneblade]

12:27 AM on 11/27/2011

Gravity is always keeping us down!

[Rich Phitzwell]

10:37 AM on 11/28/2011

https://www.facebook.com/Ban.gravity ban it then!!!!

[Rich Phitzwell]

10:45 AM on 11/28/2011

We should all get together and ban gravity! Im tired of being put down all the time!

facebook /Ban.gravity

[SkyhawkIIAimer]

06:43 PM on 11/26/2011

Nerd Porn!

[I try to be reasonable]

11:12 AM on 11/26/2011

The sun is suffering from Pre-Mature Plasma Ejection...

[imtruthmonger]

06:51 PM on 11/26/2011

Mother nature is going to be pissed! No more new universes until that's fixed!

[MichaelMcKLA]

09:43 PM on 11/26/2011

Sorta like a galactic squirt.

[jsarets]

10:19 AM on 11/26/2011

And we've had a successful launch of the Mars Science Laboratory!!

MSL and the Centaur upper stage are in a low earth parking orbit at about 172x90 nmi for a 19-minute coast phase. The Centaur will then ignite again for the earth departure burn into Mars transfer orbit.

[jsarets]

09:56 AM on 11/26/2011

About to come out of the T-4 minute hold. Launch control is GO for launch!

[jsarets]

09:17 AM on 11/26/2011

T-35 minutes.

All launch vehicle propellant tanks are now in topping mode.

[jsarets]

08:54 AM on 11/26/2011

T-1 hour and counting.

Launch control is GO for Centaur liquid hydrogen tanking. The LH2 is maintained at an extremely cold temperature of -423 degrees F (20 degrees above absolute zero).

[jsarets]

08:41 AM on 11/26/2011

T-1:15 and counting

The Centaur liquid oxygen tank is at flight level. Atlas liquid oxygen at 20%. Chilldown of the Centaur liquid hydrogen tank is underway.

Weather is currently observed green after going red briefly for the cumulus cloud rule. The forecast calls for a 70% probability of favorable weather conditions for launch.

[jsarets]

07:52 AM on 11/26/2011

The launch control team has been polled for readiness to begin loading cryogenic propellants into the launch vehicle, and all console positions have reported GO for tanking.

Coming out of the planned hold at T-2 hours and counting.

[crayola 08b]

08:43 AM on 11/26/2011

i really hope Curiosity makes it there in one piece.

[jsarets]

07:33 AM on 11/26/2011

Preparations for this morning's launch of NASA's flagship Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission are underway, and live coverage is beginning on the NASA TV webcast:

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

MSL and its Curiosity rover are poised atop an Atlas V 541 rocket on the pad at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral. This launch vehicle configuration has 4 graphite/epoxy solid rocket boosters mounted on the Atlas booster, a single-engine Centaur upper stage, and a 5m diameter payload fairing enclosing the spacecraft.

The Atlas booster burns rocket-grade kerosene in liquid oxygen using the RD-180 dual-nozzle ox-rich staged combustion cycle engine. The Centaur upper stage burns liquid hydrogen in liquid oxygen using the venerable RL-10 expander cycle engine.

The launch window opens this morning at 10:02AM EST, which is the scheduled T-0 time, and continues for 103 minutes to the window close time at 11:45.

T-2 hours and holding for a planned 30-minute hold.

[14tavoliberal]

05:36 AM on 11/26/2011

See, it will reach maximum activity in mid-2013 not Dec 21, 2012.

[bellavinovita]

05:19 PM on 11/26/2011

In the life of the universe and planet earth, that's like being 2 minutes late for a dinner reservation.

[rnl52]

12:48 AM on 11/28/2011

Its the magnetic pole shift that will get us next Dec.

[bart4u]

04:41 AM on 11/26/2011

Space, the sun, planets and the universe is so amazing. The Republicans could care less. I think it is important for us to keep exploring what is out there. Funding is the problem, just wish we could continue the NASA program.

[cre8iveman]

09:24 AM on 11/26/2011

You think democrats are the only ones who support science? Did you forget how Obama cut space science and the next launch vehicle, leaving us no choice but to use Russian hardware? You're not as smart as you think you are. It's just blind partisanship to you.

[SkyhawkIIAimer]

06:45 PM on 11/26/2011

You should study.

[bart4u]

11:07 PM on 11/26/2011

Yes overall the Democrats support science more than the Republicans. That is a fact. Obama is trying to compromise with the Republicans and the funds are less then what they were before. In our economy things do have to be cut and unfortunately science is not a high priority. In my opinion we have done most of the research needed from the space station and its time to move on to other projects when they get funding. That is just my opinion.

[Minister X]

01:59 PM on 11/26/2011

NASA hasn't been discontinued.

[cre8iveman]

02:56 PM on 11/26/2011

I said it has been cut, not discontinued. Read carefully before replying

[bart4u]

11:02 PM on 11/26/2011

I know but the funding is less which means less research and the Republicans are not keen of science.

[Jonathan Causey]

03:57 AM on 11/26/2011

Simply amazing.

[rafdelm001]

02:16 AM on 11/26/2011

so tom, what's that got to do with sun's flares???

[jsanti7]

12:55 AM on 11/26/2011

Nature and the cosmos is so awe inspiring... and that tripped my trigger ......So if you wanted to start a universe from a singularity ? what came first the black hole or the singularity? If the big bang expanded the universe almost instantaneous why are we limited to the speed of light?