APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

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APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by APOD Robot » Sun Mar 06, 2016 5:08 am

Image A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO

Explanation: One of the most spectacular solar sights is an erupting prominence. In 2011, NASA's Sun-orbiting Solar Dynamic Observatory spacecraft imaged an impressively large prominence erupting from the surface. The dramatic explosion was captured in ultraviolet light in the above time lapse video covering 90 minutes, where a new frame was taken every 24 seconds. The scale of the prominence is huge -- the entire Earth would easily fit under the flowing curtain of hot gas. A solar prominence is channeled and sometimes held above the Sun's surface by the Sun's magnetic field. A quiescent prominence typically lasts about a month, and may erupt in a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) expelling hot gas into the Solar System. The energy mechanism that creates a solar prominence is still a topic of research. As the Sun passes Solar Maximum, solar activity like eruptive prominences are expected to become less common over the next few years.

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Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by Boomer12k » Sun Mar 06, 2016 6:59 am

Fiery...

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Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by gvann » Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:32 pm

The Explanation says that "the entire Earth would easily fit under the flowing curtain". Indeed. It would fit very easily, with a margin of more than 1000x, because even Jupiter would fit in there quite comfortably.

markc

Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by markc » Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:33 pm

Why does so much of the expelled mass seem to return to the point from which it was initially ejected instead of continuing on a more or less ballistic trajectory across the surface?

gvann

Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by gvann » Sun Mar 06, 2016 2:41 pm

markc wrote:Why does so much of the expelled mass seem to return to the point from which it was initially ejected instead of continuing on a more or less ballistic trajectory across the surface?
I believe that gravity, though strong compared to Earth, does not play an important role here. The material in the mass ejection is a plasma that is affected by the strong magnetic fields much more so than by gravity.

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Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by neufer » Sun Mar 06, 2016 6:53 pm

gvann wrote:
markc wrote:
Why does so much of the expelled mass seem to return to the point from which it was initially ejected instead of continuing on a more or less ballistic trajectory across the surface?
I believe that gravity, though strong compared to Earth, does not play an important role here. The material in the mass ejection is a plasma that is affected by the strong magnetic fields much more so than by gravity.
With an escape velocity of ~600 km/s (a temperature of ~ 6 million degrees) gravity is certainly pulling it back down but it can only do so along magnetic lines of force where they are strongest.
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Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by daddyo » Mon Mar 07, 2016 3:53 am

Hydrogen indigestion

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Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by Beyond » Mon Mar 07, 2016 4:37 am

daddyo wrote:Hydrogen indigestion
Ha
To find the Truth, you must go Beyond.

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Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by john o » Tue Mar 08, 2016 12:36 am

SDO is in a geostationary orbit, hence the eclipses.

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Re: APOD: A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO (2016 Mar 06)

Post by Chris Peterson » Tue Mar 08, 2016 12:49 am

john o wrote:SDO is in a geostationary orbit, hence the eclipses.
Geosynchronous, not geostationary. Because of its inclination, the eclipses are short, and only occur around the equinoxes.
Chris

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