Science and Weather‘Exquisite solar prominence’ caught in time-lapse video
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which keeps its eye trained on the Sun at all times, witnessed a solar eruption on March 16th. The SDO team pieced together a time-lapse video of this "Graceful Eruption" (as NASA calls it) and posted it on the internet for our enjoyment:
According to the NASA website:
A solar prominence began to bow out and the broke apart in a graceful, floating style in a little less than four hours (Mar. 16, 2013). The sequence was captured in extreme ultraviolet light. A large cloud of the particles appeared to hover further out above the surface before it faded away.
[ More Geekquinox: Solar conjunction delays science on Mars ]
The Sun is in a relatively quiet period right now, given that this year is supposed to be the next maximum of its 11-year cycle, but it's still impressing us with views like this. I can't wait to see what other shows it will put on for us if it 'wakes up' again sometime this year, as scientists predict.
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