Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Guy in the Sky fanning his feathers


Spiraling Active Region of the sun in Profile

Cascades of spiraling magnetic loops observed in extreme ultraviolet light by SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory) danced and twisted above an active region on the Sun (Apr. 3-5, 2011). These loops are charged particles spinning along the magnetic field lines, and thus visually revealing them. The bright active region was fairly strong and the activity persistent, though not explosive. At one point darker plasma can be seen being pulled back and forth across the region's center. Watch movie here

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