NASA just uploaded an amazing video of two active regions on the sun creating arched magnetic loops coming off its surface.
Solar activity can often result in charged particles spinning along a magnetic field, and forming into bright lines that emit extremely high ultraviolet light.
You can see halfway in the video where a small eruption from the foremost active region causes the coiled loops to rise and get even brighter:
The scene was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, maybe best known for providing a live feed of the sun. Even if we were close enough to the sun (and somehow not immediately blinded by the intense light or vaporized by the heat), we wouldn’t be able to see the loops with our own unaided eyes. Fortunately, the SDO is fitted with plenty of amazing instruments able to observe the sun in all sorts of wavelengths.
