When The Sun Erupts
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North America's, National Aeronautics And Space Administration (NASA) today released rare footage of Solar Prominences - large glowing clouds of gas erupting from the Sun's surface.
The spectacular images of the eruptions that occured over a 30-hour period on September 26th and 27th, were captured by the twin STEREO (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) spacecraft, imaginatively dubbed Ahead and Behind, based on their positions in Space. The spacecraft were launched in 2006 to provide NASA with a three dimensional view of the Sun.
Solar Prominences are huge arcs of gas that erupt from the surface of the Sun. They occur because of the solar activity cycle. As is well-known, the sun is a huge magnetic ball of gas, held in place by a magnetic field. As the sun rotates, the heat in its interior, churns the cooler, subsurface gas layer creating giant gas bubbles.
Ever so often, the bubbles breach the surface of the sun and break out. When they reach 30,000 miles above the surface of the Sun - like this one did, they release huge amounts of material, at speeds of up to 2,160,000 mph, before dissipating - and appear as though the Sun is erupting!
sources: englishcctv.com, Solar Prominence ,telegraph.com.uk
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62 Comments
- mumover 8 yearscool
- shivi483over 8 yearsBut how it is the hottest planet ever to be found how can that be they must do something.
- staudtlabout 9 yearsthe sun is a very hot planet to touch.
- landon-03about 9 yearsi would hate if this happened again because i dont want to die young
- yolopuppy55about 9 yearsWow im glad thats not gonna happen to me! Poor future people. :(
- smithkar004over 9 yearsEinstein would love this
- lunamoonamareover 9 yearsI heard it's getting bigger.
- yolopuppy55about 9 yearswow really
- Scienceover 9 yearsHope the doesn't erupt soon
- catylizardover 9 yearswont erupt soon will be over a million years we will all be dead by than you are not good at science science cange your name!
- skylaover 9 yearsi like the video topengun
- Sciencealmost 10 yearsSoon the world will end... when the sun erupts completely. By then, the world and civilization will be on another planet...