Jan 15 2013, A Solar Ballet
The video attached to this APOD shows a prominence erupting from the sun. Solar Prominences are made up of gas and are very bright. This one was observed by NASA's Solar Dynamic Observatory. This video shows the prominence in the Ultraviolet spectrum. Prominences are supported by the complicated magnetic fields of the Sun. The plasma seen in this video falls back to the Sun's surface because it does not have enough energy to escape the Sun's powerful gravitational force. Some prominences can last more than a month and the Earth could comfortably fit inside of one. This year, the Sun will reach a solar maximum this year, meaning that events such as this one will become common on the Sun's active surface. The solar cycle lasts 22 years in total.
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