Image: Solar Dynamics Observatory spies rare encircling filament

Image: Solar Dynamics Observatory spies rare encircling filament
Credit: NASA/GSFC/Solar Dynamics Observatory

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory came across an oddity that the spacecraft has rarely observed before: a dark filament encircling an active region (Oct. 29-31, 2017). Solar filaments are clouds of charged particles that float above the sun, tethered to it by magnetic forces.

They are usually elongated and uneven strands. Only a handful of times before have we seen one shaped like a circle.

The black area to the left of the brighter active region is a coronal hole, a magnetically open region of the sun.

While it may have no major scientific value, it is noteworthy because of its rarity. The still was taken in a wavelength of .

Provided by NASA

Citation: Image: Solar Dynamics Observatory spies rare encircling filament (2017, November 9) retrieved 28 March 2024 from https://phys.org/news/2017-11-image-solar-dynamics-observatory-spies.html
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