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. 2024 August 18 IFRAME: [2]https://www.youtube.com/embed/PBL1RBj-P1g?rel=0 A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO Image Credit: [3]NASA/[4]Goddard/[5]SDO AIA Team Explanation: One of the most spectacular solar sights is an erupting prominence. In 2011, NASA's Sun-orbiting [6]Solar Dynamic Observatory spacecraft imaged an [7]impressively large prominence erupting from the surface. The dramatic explosion was captured in ultraviolet light in the [8]featured time lapse video covering 90 minutes, where a new frame was taken every 24 seconds. The scale of the prominence is huge -- the entire [9]Earth would easily fit under the flowing [10]curtain of hot gas. A [11]solar prominence is channeled and sometimes held above the Sun's surface by the Sun's [12]magnetic field. A quiescent prominence typically lasts about a month and may erupt in a [13]Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) [14]expelling hot gas into the [15]Solar System. The energy [16]mechanism that creates a [17]solar prominence is a continuing topic of [18]research. Our Sun is again near [19]solar maximum and so very active, featuring numerous erupting prominences and CMEs, one of which resulted in [20]picturesque [21]auroras just over the past week. Tomorrow's picture: star cocoon __________________________________________________________________ [22]< | [23]Archive | [24]Submissions | [25]Index | [26]Search | [27]Calendar | [28]RSS | [29]Education | [30]About APOD | [31]Discuss | [32]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell ([36]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [37]Specific rights apply. [38]NASA Web Privacy, [39]Accessibility, [40]Notices; A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC, [44]NASA Science Activation & [45]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://www.youtube.com/embed/PBL1RBj-P1g?rel=0 3. https://www.nasa.gov/ 4. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard 5. https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 6. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sdo 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030223.html 8. https://youtu.be/PBL1RBj-P1g 9. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0208/earthlights02_dmsp_big.jpg 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011203.html 11. http://solar.physics.montana.edu/YPOP/Program/hfilament.html 12. https://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/the_key.shtml 13. https://solarscience.msfc.nasa.gov/CMEs.shtml 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010924.html 15. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/ 16. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1989ApJ...343..971V/abstract 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap030707.html 18. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/30/62/75/3062756a297f1e3c22e35f3fe89b3ecc.jpg 19. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/solar-cycle-25-is-here-nasa-noaa-scientists-explain-what-that-means/ 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240814.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240815.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240817.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 28. https://apod.com/feed.rss 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 31. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=240818 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240819.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 39. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 40. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/ 43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 45. http://www.mtu.edu/