Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sun's Spiraling Magnetic Loops observed in Extreme UV by SDO

Sun's Spiraling Magnetic Loops observed in Extreme UV by SDO
Click on the image to enlarge

Cascades of spiraling magnetic loops observed in extreme ultraviolet light by SDO 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.
Credit: NASA/SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory)

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