A large active region sported tall coils of magnetic field lines that stretched many times the size of Earth above the Sun (Jan. 14-15, 2014). When viewed in extreme ultraviolet light, the field lines are revealed due to particles spinning along them. Some of the lines reach out and connect with another active region that has just rotated out of view. The close-up also shows darker, and therefore cooler plasma, just above the surface being tugged back and forth by magnetic forces. The video clip covers about 36 hours of activity. Credit: Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA.
Search Tag(s): 171, loops, active regions