SDO Reveals Star-Forming Eruptions

Spectacular eruption: On June 7, 2011, SDO captured this image as a massive eruption lifted an enormous amount of cool, dark material into the corona. Most of that material fell back onto the sun, where the gravitational energy of the fall caused it to heat up to a million degrees and more. Scientists concluded that this event on the sun was a small-scale version of what happens as stars form and collect gases via gravity. Thus, AIA allowed us to study in detail a phenomenon that cannot be observed so closely anywhere else in the universe.

Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA/LMSAL

Read more: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/sdo-telescope-collects-its-1...

NASA image use policy.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.