Towering blasts from the Sun
Yesterday, a magnetic filament curling over the southeastern limb of thee sun became unstable and erupted. The blast produced a towering curlicue prominence that "Dr Seuss would have loved," says Alan Friedman, who sends this picture from his backyard observatory in Buffalo, New York:
"It towered more than 200,000 miles above the stellar surface," says Friedman.
Astronomers around the world watched the structure twist, curl, and eventually fling itself into space over a six hour period. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory had the best view of all. Onboard cameras recorded an IMAX-quality movie of the event ... coming soon to a theatre near you? NASA is planning an IMAX movie about SDO, and this eruption will probably make the cut. Until then, enjoy these previews: 9 MB movie, 15 MB slow-motion movie.
Bron: Spaceweather.com
