Visions of Our Local Star #14

The narrowband hydrogen-alpha filter used to take this image of the Sun enables us to peer into the chromosphere, the lower region of the solar atmosphere. The image is presented in a false colour palette, chosen both for its aesthetics and to highlight some of the features that show the dynamic and unpredictable nature of stars. The hydrogen-alpha line appears in the red part of the visible spectrum, meaning that the Sun appears red when viewed at the eyepiece at this wavelength. Flame-like prominences, made of huge arcs of plasma, can be seen erupting out from the chromosphere. They extend for thousands of miles and can last for months at a time. When prominences are seen against the br...View all