Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2025 July 30
    [2]Four images of the Sun's edge are shown. In each a loop of bright
        material is captured above the Sun's surface. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                          Coronal Loops on the Sun
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Andrea Vanoni

   Explanation: Our Sun frequently erupts in loops. Hot solar [4]plasma
   jumps off the Sun's surface into [5]prominences, with the most common
   type of prominence being a simple loop. The [6]loop shape originates
   from the [7]Sun's magnetic field, which is traced by spiraling
   electrons and protons. Many loops into the Sun's lower [8]corona are
   large enough to [9]envelop the Earth and are stable enough to last
   days. They commonly occur near active regions that also include dark
   [10]sunspots. The [11]featured panel shows four loops, each of which
   was captured near the [12]Sun's edge during 2024 and 2025. The images
   were taken by a personal telescope in [13]Mantova, [14]Italy and in a
   [15]very specific color of light emitted primarily by [16]hydrogen.
   Some solar prominences [17]suddenly break open and [18]eject particles
   into the [19]Solar System, setting up a [20]space weather sequence that
   can affect the [21]skies and [22]wires of Earth.

              Jigsaw Universe: [23]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

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   [29]Calendar | [30]RSS | [31]Education | [32]About APOD | [33]Discuss |
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     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [39]Specific rights apply.
            [40]NASA Web Privacy, [41]Accessibility, [42]Notices;
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC,
                         [46]NASA Science Activation
                           & [47]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2507/SunLoops_Vanoni_1223.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/astro.vano/
   4. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14299
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240615.html
   6. https://daily.wordreference.com/2016/09/30/word-of-the-day-loop/
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-understanding-the-magnetic-sun/
   8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240402.html
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140304.html
  10. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/solar-activity/en/
  11. https://www.instagram.com/p/DKdCCghIWwv/
  12. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  13. https://youtu.be/itj-85yLTK8
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy
  15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen-alpha
  16. https://www.nasa.gov/solar-system/new-evidence-our-neighborhood-in-space-is-stuffed-with-hydrogen/
  17. https://styles.redditmedia.com/t5_2yb9w/styles/communityIcon_lqalsz65mlf51.jpg?format=pjpg&s=b08cef3aa70e534d3a5d8fbc180ad4844451779f
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240818.html
  19. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/
  20. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/spaceweather/
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230122.html
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrington_Event#Telegraphs
  23. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250729.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250730
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250731.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  47. http://www.mtu.edu/