Out on a Limb! (December 15, 2005)

Hi-res TIF image (1.1M)
Quicktime: Large (795K), Small (201K)
This week we observed a very slow developing and narrow coronal mass ejection (CME). Over a 24 hour period (December 13-14, 2005), the bright region in the lower right of the corona very gradually extended itself further and further away as a fairly elongated thrust from the Sun until some force triggered its blasting out into space as a cloud of particles. When observed in the C2 coronagraphs like we see here, most CMEs develop and explode in just a few hours. This one certainly took its time, but when it came time to release, the rapid movement was more typical of your average CME.
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. |