This pair of images shows the same prominence that had hovered above the Sun for several days running taken by SOHO (left) and Jack Newton (right), a solar photographer nearly at about the same time on September 25, 2005. Of course they appear somewhat different since the SOHO image was taken in extreme ultraviolet light and the Newton image with a telescope using a Hydrogen-Alpha filter. So they are actually imaging different particles. Even so, the shape remains generally the same.

Amateur solar astronomers around the world have been enjoying peering at and taking photos of this prominence. The particles suspended above the Sun are being controlled by magnetic field forces. Prominences can last from hours to weeks. The video clip shows the prominence in ultraviolet light over 4 days beginning September 25.

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Previous Picks of the Week

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.