Reinvigorated Sun and Prominence

Dramatic prominences can sometimes be seen looming just beyond the edge of
the sun. Such was the case last week as a giant prominence, visible above on
the right, highlighted a Sun showing increased activity as it comes off an
unusually quiet Solar Minimum. A changing carpet of hot gas is visible in the
chromosphere of the Sun in the above image taken in a very specific color of
light emitted by hydrogen. A solar prominence is a cloud of solar gas held just
above the surface by the Sun's magnetic field. The Earth would easily fit below
the prominence on the right. Although very hot, prominences typically appear dark
when viewed against the Sun, since they are slightly cooler than the surface. 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 next day, the
same prominence looked slightly different.