Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2022 January 30
   [2]The featured image shows the Sun with a large eruptive prominence on
   the upper left. The image was taken with NASA's SOHO satellite in 1999.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                        A Solar Prominence from SOHO
            Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]ESA, [5]SOHO-EIT Consortium

   Explanation: How can gas float above the Sun? Twisted [6]magnetic
   fields arching from [7]the solar surface can trap ionized gas,
   suspending it in huge looping structures. These majestic [8]plasma
   arches are seen as [9]prominences above the solar limb. In 1999,
   [10]this dramatic and detailed image was recorded by the Extreme
   [11]ultraviolet Image Telescope (EIT) on board [12]the space-based SOHO
   observatory in the light emitted by [13]ionized Helium. It shows
   [14]hot plasma escaping into space as a fiery prominence breaks free
   from [15]magnetic confinement a hundred thousand kilometers above the
   Sun. [16]These awesome events [17]bear watching as they can [18]affect
   communications and power systems over 100 million kilometers away on
   [19]planet Earth. In late 2020 our Sun passed the [20]solar minimum of
   its [21]11-year cycle and is now showing [22]increased surface
   activity.

                      Tomorrow's picture: stellar icons
     __________________________________________________________________

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     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [34]Robert Nemiroff ([35]MTU) & [36]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([37]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [38]Specific rights apply.
              [39]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2201/sunprom3_soho_2100.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/eit/
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap971106.html
   7. http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/~knisely/course_development.html
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/1999/ast07sep99_1
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_prominence
  10. http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/images/superprom.html
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves
  12. https://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/about/about.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap960520.html
  14. https://youtu.be/6qMMlmoz5O8?t=125
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coronal_mass_ejection
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081004.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190526.html
  18. https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/sun_darkness.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070325.html
  20. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/news/solarmin-max.html
  21. https://scijinks.gov/solar-cycle/
  22. https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/solar-cycle-progression
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220129.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  27. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  32. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220130
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220131.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  36. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  37. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  38. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/