Sun ID: 13778

Solar Activity Continues to Rise with 'Anemone' Eruption

Released on December 3, 2020

This imagery captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a solar flare and a subsequent eruption of solar material that occurred over the left limb of the Sun on November 29, 2020. From its foot point over the limb, some of the light and energy was blocked from reaching Earth – a little like seeing light from a lightbulb with the bottom half covered up.

Also visible in the imagery is an eruption of solar material that achieved escape velocity and moved out into space as a giant cloud of gas and magnetic fields known as a coronal mass ejection, or CME. A third, but invisible, feature of such eruptive events also blew off the Sun: a swarm of fast-moving solar energetic particles. Such particles are guided by the magnetic fields streaming out from the Sun, which, due to the Sun’s constant rotation, point backwards in a big spiral much the way water comes out of a spinning sprinkler. The solar energetic particles, therefore, emerging as they did from a part of the Sun not yet completely rotated into our view, traveled along that magnetic spiral away from Earth toward the other side of the Sun.

While the solar material didn’t head toward Earth, it did pass by some spacecraft: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, NASA’s STEREO and ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter. Equipped to measure magnetic fields and the particles that pass over them, we may be able to study fast-moving solar energetic particles in the observations once they are downloaded. These sun-watching missions are all part of a larger heliophysics fleet that help us understand both what causes such eruptions on the Sun -- as well as how solar activity affects interplanetary space, including near Earth, where they have the potential to affect astronauts and satellites.

A bright arcade of loops forms on the Sun on November 29, 2020. This image shows the structure in three wavelengths of light that highlight different parts of the structure.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

A prominence erupts from the Sun on November 29, 2020. This image shows the structure in three wavelengths of light that highlight different parts of the structure.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

Animated gif of solar activity from November 29, 2020. Captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory in 131 angstrom light, this imagery highlights material at 12 million Kelvin.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

A beautiful arcade of loops forms on the Sun on November 29, 2020. This image was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory and shows a blend of light in the 171 and 131 angstrom wavelength.

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO

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For More Information

https://blogs.nasa.gov/sunspot/2020/12/04/sdo-captures-brilliant-solar-eruption/

Credits

Scott Wiessinger (USRA): Lead Producer
Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Lead Visualizer
Karen Fox (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Lead Science Writer
Scott Wiessinger (USRA): Video Editor
Miles S. Hatfield (Telophase): Science Writer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, individual items should be credited as indicated above.

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Mission:
SDO

This item is part of these series:
Narrated Movies
SDO - Edited Features
SDO - Footage

Keywords:
SVS >> Solar Tadpoles
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Sun-earth Interactions >> Solar Activity >> Solar Flares
SVS >> Space Weather
SVS >> SDO
SVS >> Solar Dynamics Observatory
SVS >> Heliophysics
SVS >> Corona
NASA Science >> Sun
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Sun-earth Interactions >> Solar Activity >> Solar Prominences/solar Filaments

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0