by APOD Robot » Mon Oct 18, 2010 3:58 am
It Came from the Sun
Explanation: What's that
coming over the edge of the Sun? What might appear at first glance to be some sort of
Sun monster is actually a
solar prominence. The
above prominence, captured by the Sun-orbiting SOHO satellite earlier this year during an early stage of
its eruption, rapidly became one of the
largest ever on record. Even as pictured, the prominence is huge -- the
Earth would easily fit inside. A
solar prominence is a thin cloud of solar gas held just above the surface by the
Sun's magnetic field. A
quiescent prominence typically lasts about a month, while an
eruptive prominence like the one developing above may erupt within hours into a
Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), expelling hot gas into the
Solar System. Although very hot, prominences typically
appear dark when viewed against the
Sun, since they are slightly cooler than the surface. As our Sun evolves toward
Solar maximum over the next three years, more
large eruptive prominences are expected.
[/b]
[url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101018.html][img]http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_101018.jpg[/img] [size=150]It Came from the Sun[/size][/url]
[b] Explanation: [/b] What's that [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Came_from_Outer_Space]coming over[/url] the edge of the Sun? What might appear at first glance to be some sort of [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErFsW4-FDWw]Sun monster[/url] is actually a [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_prominence]solar prominence[/url]. The [url=http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/pickoftheweek/old/16apr2010/]above prominence[/url], captured by the Sun-orbiting SOHO satellite earlier this year during an early stage of [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100510.html]its eruption[/url], rapidly became one of the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100418.html]largest ever[/url] on record. Even as pictured, the prominence is huge -- the [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091123.html]Earth[/url] would easily fit inside. A [url=http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/Program/hfilament.html]solar prominence[/url] is a thin cloud of solar gas held just above the surface by the [url=http://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/the_key.shtml]Sun's magnetic field[/url]. A [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap970127.html]quiescent prominence[/url] typically lasts about a month, while an [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyIxC1nJPQ0]eruptive prominence[/url] like the one developing above may erupt within hours into a [url=http://helios.gsfc.nasa.gov/cme.html]Coronal Mass Ejection[/url] (CME), expelling hot gas into the [url=http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/solarsys/scale.html]Solar System[/url]. Although very hot, prominences typically [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010129.html]appear dark[/url] when viewed against the [url=http://www.nineplanets.org/sol.html]Sun[/url], since they are slightly cooler than the surface. As our Sun evolves toward [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_maximum]Solar maximum[/url] over the next three years, more [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cneQyjQNK8]large eruptive prominence[/url]s are expected.
[b][table][tr][td=left][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=101017]<< Previous APOD[/url][/td][td=center][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/viewforum.php?f=9]Discuss Any APOD[/url][/td] [td=right][url=http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=101019]Next APOD >>[/url][/td][/tr][/table][/b]