A mesmerizing display of red blotchy areas encircling the sun during Monday’s total solar eclipse caught the attention of many observers. These striking features are identified as solar prominences, showcasing eruptions of plasma composed of electrically charged hydrogen and helium emanating from the sun’s surface. Contrary to their fiery appearance, solar prominences follow the sun’s magnetic field and can persist for several months, extending up to 200,000 miles into space – a distance nearly equivalent to 28 times the Earth’s diameter.
These solar prominences, distinct from solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), are tethered to the sun’s photosphere and do not eject into space. Solar flares, on the other hand, are powerful bursts of X-rays and energy that can disrupt satellites and communications in the Earth’s atmosphere within minutes of their occurrence. CMEs, traveling at a speed approximately 5% of light, take one to three days to reach Earth, causing phenomena like the aurora borealis and aurora australis upon interacting with our atmosphere.
While both solar flares and CMEs have the potential to impact Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, solar prominences stand distinct as they remain anchored to the sun, showcasing a captivating phenomenon without direct repercussions on our planet. The intricate dynamics of these solar events unveil the sheer magnitude of the sun’s influence on our solar system, offering a glimpse into the complexity of celestial phenomena that continue to captivate astronomers and enthusiasts alike.