Prominence Times Four (January 9, 2009)

Hi-res TIF image (4.0M)

MPEG Movie: Large (8.8M)
Quicktime Movie: Large ( 15M), Small (1.8M)

By a fairly uncommon coincidence, STEREO (Ahead) observed four prominences that rose up and danced above the sun's surface for most a 2-day period (Dec. 30-31, 2008), each in its own quadrant. The show ended with a bang as New Year's Eve approached when the largest of the four erupted and was spun away into space. Prominences are clouds of cooler gases that are suspended above the Sun by magnetic forces, lasting from hours to days. This STEREO instrument observes the Sun in extreme UV wavelength of light of material at about 60,000 degrees C. and takes an image about every 10 minutes (which can then be run together to make a video clip).

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.