14 DAY TRIAL // Just yesterday, NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the US) announced that, while observing the Sun with the help of its Solar Dynamics Observatory, astronomers spotted a newly formed filament of solar material.
The filament, noticeable in the two NASA images accompanying this article, appears like a dark line when observed from afar. It is not straight, but coiled at one end. In fact, scientists say that it very much resembles a snake.
Admittedly, a seriously oversized snake that's on fire and that could wipe out humanity and turn everything to ash in the blink of an eye, but a snake nonetheless.
What are solar filaments anyway?
As explained by scientists with NASA, such formations that pop up on the surface of the Sun every once in a while are basically clouds of solar material that hover over this star's surface. They are pushed up and kept there by magnetic forces.
Investigations carried out over the years have shown that such clouds of solar material are fairly unstable. Some have a lifespan of a few weeks, but others disappear without a trace in a matter of days, astronomers say.
“Filaments are clouds of solar material suspended above the sun by powerful magnetic forces. Though notoriously unstable, filaments can last for day or even weeks,” NASA writes on its website.
The newly discovered filament
The new filament of solar material now adorning the surface of the Sun has been around for quite a while. Thus, the two images accompanying this article were taken on September 30.
As mentioned, solar filaments are highly unstable. Hence, NASA scientists cannot say for sure when this newly formed one will be destroyed. One can only assume that they hope that it will stick around for more than a few days so that they may study it.
It is estimated that, if stretched out, this snaking filament would span over about 1 million miles (approximately 1.6 million kilometers) from end to end. Just to put things into perspective, it need be said that this figure is about 100 times the size of our planet.
Studying solar filaments
NASA says that, in order to gain a better understanding of these massive clouds that form on the Sun, scientists observe them in different wavelengths and temperatures. This makes it possible to learn about their structure and about how they came into being.
“By looking at any solar feature in different wavelengths and temperatures, scientists can learn more about what causes such structures, as well as what catalyzes their occasional giant eruptions out into space,” NASA explains.