Contains:  Solar system body or event
The Sun - Solar Filament, Jason Guenzel

The Sun - Solar Filament

The Sun - Solar Filament, Jason Guenzel

The Sun - Solar Filament

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A solar prominence is an extended structure of hot and ionized gas extending out into the solar corona. It is held in place by magnetic field lines and can hold shape for days or weeks. Occasionally the magnetic lines will shift and the prominence will snap, releasing massive amounts of energy as a flare or even coronal mass ejection. Prominences are visually bright when viewed on the edge of the sun with space as a backdrop. But when viewed against the surface of the sun, they appear darker than the underlying atmosphere. A prominence viewed against the solar surface is called a filament.

This image is a close-up a solar filament from 22-FEB-2019, using a specialized hydrogen emission line filter. The Earth is shown as a scale reference in the bottom right of the image. The size is rather mind-boggling. Would you agree?

Don’t point a magnifying glass at the sun, kids. Enjoy!

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The Sun - Solar Filament, Jason Guenzel