A filament of solar material, one million miles long, has been recorded hovering above the surface of the sun. Seen in ultraviolet light, this strange feature is seen as a dark ribbon, stretching across the face of our companion star. The filament is held in place by powerful magnetic fields emanating from deep within the Sun. Similar features have been seen before, but this event is one of the largest seen in recent years.
The NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observed the latest filament over the course of several days, as it rotated around our local star. Astronomers recorded the ribbon and the surrounding gas in a multitude of wavelengths. Different frequencies, or colors, of light reveal information about actions of gases heated to various temperatures. By studying readings taken over a wide range of wavelengths, astronomers hope to uncover the underlying processes driving such systems. Powerful eruptions are sometimes seen pouring from these ribbons, although the cause behind these events remains a mystery.
"NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, which watches the sun 24 hours a day, has observed this gigantic filament for several days as it rotated around with the sun. If straightened out, the filament would reach almost across the whole sun, about 1 million miles or 100 times the size of Earth," NASA officials wrote on the SDO homepage.
Similar filaments seen hovering above the Sun typically last for several days or weeks before dissipating.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory was launched into space by NASA on February 11, 2010. It has been regularly observing the Sun since the start of its mission. The goal of the program is to better understand the role played by our companion star on the Earth, and the space surrounding our planet. Images taken at a multitude of wavelengths are integral to the study of how the Sun could be affecting Earth.
A smaller filament, just 200,000 miles long, was spotted near the Sun in 2013, fueling reports of a "canyon of flame" when the feature erupted, shooting vast quantities of plasma into space. The previous year, a blast from a similar tendril brushed the Earth, leading to auroras in the night sky.
It is still unknown what will happen to this newest ribbon, caught in the magnetic field of the nearest star. It could slowly dissipate, or create a brilliant blast that could potentially affect the Earth.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory is designed for a mission life of between five and 10 years. The spacecraft is in orbit around the Earth, in a geosynchronous orbit 22,238 miles above the planet.
