Uploaded April 2012 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Two areas of dark plasma that were close together danced and entwined with each other over a one-day period (March 27-28, 2012). The dark plasma, seen in profile, was somewhat cooler and therefore darker than the material around it. We have seen these twisting spirals in action before, but rarely have we been able to watch them pass strands of material back and forth along magnetic field lines with such clarity. This view was taken in extreme ultraviolet light by Solar Dynamics Observatory at a frame rate of an image every 3 minutes (450 frames in total).
Credit: NASA SDO
Two areas of dark plasma that were close together danced and entwined with each other over a one-day period (March 27-28, 2012). The dark plasma, seen in profile, was somewhat cooler and therefore darker than the material around it. We have seen these twisting spirals in action before, but rarely have we been able to watch them pass strands of material back and forth along magnetic field lines with such clarity. This view was taken in extreme ultraviolet light by Solar Dynamics Observatory at a frame rate of an image every 3 minutes (450 frames in total).
Credit: NASA SDO
