Images of the Sun in Hydrogen Alpha by Michael Caligiuri

Series: 2020

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Solar Photosphere and Chromosphere

Photosphere: The 100km-thick inner layer of the solar surface where light escaping from the Sun's shell radiates. Images of the photosphere reveal features such as sun spots, spicules, filaments, prominences (edge and surface), ribbons, and grannules.  Filaments can form as ribbons across the solar disk and rise up through the chromosphere from the photosphere. To learn more about the solar photosphere, click here.

Chromosphere: The second of three main layers of the Sun's atmosphere, roughly 2,000 kilometers deep. The chromosphere sits just above the photosphere where coronal ejections, prominences and solar flares can be observed. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is an unusually large release of plasma and magnetic fields from the chromosphere. CMEs follow solar flares and and are normally present during a prominence eruption. For more Information on the solar chromosphere, click here.

12/01/20

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