It’s a good thing remote cameras and astrological observatories are allowed to look directly at the sun, otherwise we Earth-dweller’s wouldn’t get to witness terrifying events like this!
Last week NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the above awe-inspiring footage of an immense solar flare. The BBC referred to this as a “tendril of plasma” which in space lingo is known as “solar prominence.”
These phenomena are generally about 430,000 miles long and are anchored to the Sun’s photosphere. And if this wasn’t terrifying enough, scientists are still researching how and why solar prominences occur in the first place.
Some solar prominences are so large that they could envelope not only our little planet, but bad boy Jupiter too!
Check out this comparison via the Solar Dynamics Observatory:
[News via: BBC, Russia Today, & The Huffington Post]
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