Long, Stable Filament (February 10, 2012)

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As the STEREO (Ahead) observed, a very long filament remained stable over a two-day period (Feb. 6-7, 2012) as viewed in extreme UV light. The filament, the darker U-shaped strand, curves down from left of the top down to mid latitude, then back up to the right. Other than becoming more evident to the viewer, it does not change a lot. The cooler material in the filament doesn't emit radiation at this wavelength, unlike its hotter surroundings in the corona. Sustained by magnetic forces, filaments can last for weeks, but are often unstable and erupt. We'll keep an eye on this one. Note: The darker "T" shaped structure to the left of the filament is a coronal hole.

SOHO began its Weekly Pick some time after sending a weekly image or video clip to the American Museum of Natural History (Rose Center) in New York City. There, the SOHO Weekly Pick is displayed with some annotations on a large plasma display.

If your institution would also like to receive the same Weekly Pick from us for display (usually in Photoshop or QuickTime format), please send your inquiry to steele.hill@gsfc.nasa.gov.