Heading in Opposite Directions (April 13, 2012)

Hi-res TIF (1.1M)

Quicktime: Large (5.8M), Small (1.4M)
MP4 (1.2M), M4V (271K)

Two massive prominence eruptions occurred one right after the other on opposite sides of the Sun, as seen by the STEREO Ahead spacecraft over a six-hour period (April 7, 2012). ÿThe prominences are first seen lifted off from the Sun in the Helium II emission line at 304 Angstroms by the EUVI telescope (orange), and then followed out to several solar radii by the COR1 coronagraph (green). Solar prominences are unstable clouds of gases suspended in the less dense, million-degree solar corona by magnetic forces.

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.