                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
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                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2024 June 15

                 Prominences and Filaments on the Active Sun
                 Image Credit & Copyright: Steen Søndergaard

   Explanation: This colorized and sharpened image of the Sun is composed
   of frames recording emission from hydrogen atoms in the solar
   chromosphere on May 15. Approaching the maximum of solar cycle 25, a
   multitude of active regions and twisting, snake-like solar filaments
   are seen to sprawl across the surface of the active Sun. Suspend in the
   active regions' strong magnetic fields, the filaments of plasma lofted
   above the Sun's edge appear as bright solar prominences. The large
   prominences seen near 4 o'clock, and just before 9 o'clock around the
   solar limb are post flare loops from two powerful X-class solar flares
   that both occurred on that day. In fact, the 4 o'clock prominence is
   associated with the monster active region AR 3664 just rotating off the
   Sun's edge.

                 Tomorrow's picture: How to destroy a star.
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

