Massive ’Canyon Of Fire’ Just Opened Up On The Sun

On Dec. 24, 2023, a 200,000-mile-long loop of solar material erupted in the sun’s atmosphere leaving behind what looks like a canyon of fire. These giant loops, called filaments, consist of charged particles held in place by magnetic fields that extend out from the sun’s surface. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft watched as a filament about 25 times the Earth’s width erupted just north of the sun’s equator. Moments later, it saw a glowing canyon trace the channel where magnetic fields held the structure aloft. It appears that a CME was indeed associated with this filament eruption, likely with an Earth-directed component. Another eruption registering as a long duration M1.1 solar flare was detected from behind the southeast limb beginning at 19:20 UTC (Dec 24). A coronal mass ejection (CME) will be produced and will be directed away from Earth. Region 3529 also erupted today (Dec. 24) with an M2.9 and an M2.6 class solar flares. Thanks for watching! #canyonoffire #CME #solarstorm Images credit: GOES-16 SUVI, AIA/SDO, Music credit: YouTube Audio Library Kurt - Cheel