Planetary Folklore just posted this incredible footage from NASA showing in brilliant HD detail the solar flare that erupted last week. Described by NASA as a solar flare of “monster prominence” (my new favorite expression of the moment) it is absolutely spellbinding. And what’s more, when you see the photo below showing earth in comparison to the flare you will have an even greater appreciation for it. Each time I watch it I feel an overwhelming sense of proportion of how trivial my day-to-day life problems are. We are nothing more than specs of star dust and spend far too little time looking at our feet instead of looking up above. Here’s what I pulled off NASA’s Flickr page:
GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER (Greenbelt, Maryland)..☛..When a rather large-sized (M3.6 class) flare occurred near the edge of the Sun, it blew out a gorgeous, waving mass of erupting plasma that swirled and twisted over a 90-minute period (Feb. 24, 2011). This event was captured in extreme ultraviolet light by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft . Some of the material blew out into space and other portions fell back to the surface. Because SDO images are super-HD, we can zoom in on the action and still see exquisite details. And using a cadence of a frame taken every 24 seconds, the sense of motion is, by all appearances, seamless. Sit back and enjoy the jaw-dropping solar show. (Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO). NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. (Follow us on Twitter).
…..
