Extensive Arch

A giant arch of plasma rose up out of the Sun and then stretched itself until it had reached back to a point behind our view of the Sun (Sept, 17-18, 2014). Since it emerged from a magnetically intense active region, the arch is likely connecting to another active region over the Sun's horizon. We rarely see material extend this distance. The images were observed in the extreme ultraviolet wavelength of 171 Angstroms.

Credit: NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory

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