Longest ever solar filament caught on UCCI camera

(CNS): A huge magnetic filament is currently hanging over the surface of the sun, and it could erupt at any moment. The tendril of plasma, which reached some 700,000 kilometers this week and is suspended above the surface of the sun by magnetic forces, was captured by Bill Hrudey at UCCI’s observatory. The local astrophysicist has been monitoring what is believed to be the largest recorded solar filament on a daily basis via the college telescope to record its evolution. 

To get an idea of just how long it is, if the filament were peeled off the sun and stretched out, it would reach from Earth to the Moon or could be wrapped around the circumference of giant Jupiter many times over.

If the filament becomes unstable and erupts, it could hurl parts of itself into space. Pieces of the filament falling back to the solar surface would explode upon impact, creating one or more Hyder flares.

Solar filament, photo taken at UCCI observatory by Bill Hrudey