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.
The Swan
Credit: IRIS, LMSAL/NASA, Chad Madsen, SAO
When it comes to solar flares, this one is not the most impressive in terms of intensity. It is, however, ripe with cheekiness. In the ultraviolet light observed by IRIS, solar flares tend to produce bright "ribbons" that appear to tear a seam through the Sun as the magnetic field in the area undergoes some dramatic reorganization. Flare ribbons can tangle into a vast variety of shapes. In this observation, the ribbon produces a broad oval structure that acts as a hub for two thinner, strand-like structures. The end result is what appears to be swan floating upon invisible pond, complete with a long neck, beak, tucked wing, and tail feathers, not unlike the folded napkins you'd see at some restaurants.