NASA - Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) patch.
Aug. 7, 2014
Amazing Filament
The Sun sported a very long filament (over 30 times the size of Earth) that angled diagonally across its surface for over a week (July 31 - Aug. 6, 2014). Filaments are clouds of cooler gas suspended above the Sun's surface by magnetic forces.
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft
They are notoriously unstable and often break apart in just hours or days. So far, this one has held together as it rotated along with the Sun for over a week. The images were taken in the 193 Angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light and were tinted red instead of its usual brown hue.
For more information about Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sdo/main/ and http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Image, Video, Text, Credits: Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA.
Greetings, Orbiter.ch
