Giant loops of plasma above the Suns surface are swaying back and forth, spanning distances up to an estimated 100,000 miles. The video clip covers about a day of activity viewed in extreme ultraviolet light. The loops actually are charged particles spiraling along numerous groups of magnetic field lines extending above active regions. Meanwhile, a darker, cooler mass of plasma swirled and twisted above the Sun in the upper left area of the frames. The video was captured Sept. 18-19, 2013 by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). SDO was launched in 2010, and is currently studying solar activity and how it causes space weather. Space weather affects our lives on Earth, and even satellites and astronauts out in space! SDO is helping us understand where the suns energy comes from, what happens inside of the sun, and how energy is stored and released in the suns atmosphere. By better understanding the sun and how it works, we will be able to better predict space weather events.Credit: NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory#sun #solarsystem #sdo #star #plasma #nasa #space #sunshine

Giant loops of plasma above the Sun’s surface are swaying back and forth, spanning distances up to an estimated 100,000 miles. The video clip covers about a day of activity viewed in extreme ultraviolet light. The loops actually are charged particles spiraling along numerous groups of magnetic field lines extending above active regions. Meanwhile, a darker, cooler mass of plasma swirled and twisted above the Sun in the upper left area of the frames. The video was captured Sept. 18-19, 2013 by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). SDO was launched in 2010, and is currently studying solar activity and how it causes space weather. Space weather affects our lives on Earth, and even satellites and astronauts out in space! SDO is helping us understand where the sun’s energy comes from, what happens inside of the sun, and how energy is stored and released in the sun’s atmosphere. By better understanding the sun and how it works, we will be able to better predict space weather events. Credit: NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory #sun #solarsystem #sdo #star #plasma #nasa #space #sunshine #igapp