IRIS Movie of the Day
At least once a week a movie of the Sun taken by NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is posted by one of the scientists operating the instrument.
Small flares leading to C-class flare
Credit: IRIS, LMSAL/NASA, Llyr Humphries
A series of small flares can be seen from an active region as it approaches the West limb of the Sun. A large, C-class flare can then be seen at the limb on the right-hand-side of the image. This release of energy typically takes place above regions in which twisted and braided magnetic field lines suddenly release tension, resulting in an explosive release of kinetic and thermal energy.