Prominence Lift-Off [HD Video]
NASA image release June 9, 2010
STEREO (Ahead) kept a steady eye on a narrow portion of a solar prominence that rose up, wavered, and finally broke away from the Sun (May 28-30, 2010). It appeared that the trailing portion of the prominence still remained behind. With the spacecraft's viewing angle at edge on, the prominence looks somewhat like a long thin ribbon. Note that the part that erupted brightened (=heated in this case) as it went up. Prominences are cooler clouds of gas suspended above the solar surface by magnetic forces. They frequently become unstable and break away.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/SOHO
To learn more about SOHO go to: soho.nascom.nasa.gov/home.html
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.
Prominence Lift-Off [HD Video]
NASA image release June 9, 2010
STEREO (Ahead) kept a steady eye on a narrow portion of a solar prominence that rose up, wavered, and finally broke away from the Sun (May 28-30, 2010). It appeared that the trailing portion of the prominence still remained behind. With the spacecraft's viewing angle at edge on, the prominence looks somewhat like a long thin ribbon. Note that the part that erupted brightened (=heated in this case) as it went up. Prominences are cooler clouds of gas suspended above the solar surface by magnetic forces. They frequently become unstable and break away.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/SOHO
To learn more about SOHO go to: soho.nascom.nasa.gov/home.html
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is home to the nation's largest organization of combined scientists, engineers and technologists that build spacecraft, instruments and new technology to study the Earth, the sun, our solar system, and the universe.