Solar Prominence | Astronomy - Encyclopedia Britannica

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Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos solar prominence Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Images & Videos Take a look at an erupting solar prominence as observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite on March 30, 2010 prominence erupting from the Sun Observe incandescent, ionized gas ejections from the Sun's chromosphere into the corona Quizzes The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet Space Odyssey Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi. All About Astronomy Britannica AI Icon Contents Science Astronomy CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/science/solar-prominence Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

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External Websites
  • Montana State University - Department of Physics - Solar Filament and Prominence
  • Spaceweather.com - What are Solar Filament and Prominence?
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Take a look at an erupting solar prominence as observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite on March 30, 2010
Take a look at an erupting solar prominence as observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite on March 30, 2010An erupting solar prominence observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite on March 30, 2010.(more)See all videos for this article

solar prominence, dense cloud of incandescent ionized gas projecting from the Sun’s chromosphere into the corona. Prominences sometimes extend hundreds of thousands of kilometres above the Sun’s chromosphere. Their causes are uncertain but probably involve magnetic forces.

prominence erupting from the Sun
prominence erupting from the SunA prominence erupting from the Sun. An image of Earth has been superimposed to show how enormous the Sun is in comparison. Hotter areas of the Sun appear in bright white, while cooler areas are red. The image was taken in extreme ultraviolet light by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory satellite. (more)

Prominences vary considerably in size, shape, and motion and are of two main types, active and quiescent. Active prominences erupt quickly and have lifetimes lasting from several minutes to a few hours. They are associated with sunspot groups and, like these, are correlated in numbers and activity with the solar cycle. Quiescent prominences tend to emerge smoothly and subside much more slowly, so they may be visible for several months. Prominences appear either as flame-coloured projections when the disk of the Sun is totally eclipsed or as dark ribbons (called filaments) when viewed through a spectroscope.

Key People: Pierre Janssen Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer (Show more) Related Topics: coronal mass ejection corona transient solar prominence solar activity quiescent solar prominence (Show more) See all related content
Observe incandescent, ionized gas ejections from the Sun's chromosphere into the corona
Observe incandescent, ionized gas ejections from the Sun's chromosphere into the coronaProminences are clouds of incandescent, ionized gas ejected from the Sun's surface. They are also some of the most dramatic phenomena in the solar system, the equivalent of thousand-mile-high storms that can rage for months. This time-lapse film shows active prominences of a few hours' duration. “Loop” prominences like this one, which seems to rise and fall back to the surface, are the aftermath of solar flares. Prominences are transparent in normal light and have to be viewed through special instruments that can detect the spectroscopic emission lines of hydrogen.(more)See all videos for this article

Probably the first astronomer to describe prominences (1733) was Birger Vassenius of Göteborg, Sweden. In 1868 French astronomer Pierre Janssen and British astronomer Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer independently announced a method of observing prominences by spectroscope without waiting for an eclipse.

The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet Britannica Quiz Space Odyssey This article was most recently revised and updated by Erik Gregersen.

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