Hinode Investigates the Magnetic Field Structure of Active Regions

Hinode has shown us complex structures in the solar chromosphere, once thought to be static, these move and twist with time.

These prominences were observed on the southwestern limb of the Sun on April 24, 2007 in the light of Hydrogen-alpha, at a wavelength of 656.3 nm, which is in the red part of the visible spectrum. Hinode observations of such prominences have shown that these phenomena are not simple or static. High-resolution Hinode images have revealed plumes rising from the prominence base, streams of plasma that rain back down, and complex vortices. The large structure to the right in the images is approximately 36,000 km (22,000 mi) across, just slightly less than the circumference of Earth.

For more information visit http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hinode/chromosphere.html

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