Sun Fires Off Vast 'Filament' In Spectacular New Video

WOW! The sun fired off a colossal filament on April 28-29, and the sun-watching Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft was able to catch the dramatic action in still images and video (see above).

A solar filament is a strand of hot plasma suspended above the sun's surface by magnetic forces. This one was harmless but extremely long, extending millions of miles into space, io9 reported.

The action unfolded over a period of hours but looks fast because the video has been sped up, according to RT.

A joint venture of NASA and the European Space Agency, SOHO was launched into orbit around the sun on Dec. 2, 1995. Its mission to study the sun was to last until 1998 but has been extended several times.

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