Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has captured a wild solar prominence on the sun¡¯s surface that he claims is as large as the largest planet in our solar system -- Jupiter.?
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To the unaware, a prominence isn¡¯t the same as a solar flare (although it sure does look like one).? ?
According to NASA, prominence is a bright, dense and cool arched cloud of ionized gas in the chromosphere and corona of the Sun. They're anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere, and extend outwards into the Sun's corona.?
The orange-crimson structure that you see on the outer layer of the Sun is none other than plasma --? hot gas that¡¯s made of electrically charged hydrogen and helium.
NASA reveals that a prominence forms over timescales of about a day, and stable prominences could be present in the corona for months, looping hundreds of thousands of miles into space. The prominence is known to erupt when it becomes unstable, releasing the plasma in space.?
The reason behind their cause and existence is still unknown by scientists.
Also Read:?Why Solar Storms Occur? How To Protect Internet, Life On Earth From Solar Storms
McCarthy, describing the prominence, said on his Instagram post, ¡°This prominence formed yesterday, to give you an idea of how long these can stick around for. Aside from being a relatively chonky one, these prominences are quite normal and nothing to worry about!¡±
Also Read:?What Is Solar Flare? How Is It Different From Solar Storm & Coronal Mass Ejections
The image was captured using his solar scope. He also shared a video that showed 45 minutes of sped-up footage of the solar activity that looked rather interesting.
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