Prominences and Filaments on the Active Sun

This colorized and sharpened image of the Sun is composed of frames recording emission from hydrogen atoms in the solar chromosphere on May 15. Approaching the maximum of solar cycle 25, a multitude of active regions and twisting, snake-like solar filaments are seen to sprawl across the surface of the active Sun. Suspend in the active regions strong magnetic fields, the filaments of plasma lofted above the Suns edge appear as bright solar prominences. The large prominences seen near 4 oclock, and just before 9 oclock around the solar limb are post flare loops from two powerful X-class solar flares that both occurred on that day. In fact, the 4 oclock prominence is associated with the monster active region AR 3664 just rotating off the Suns edge.