Sun's Spiraling Fiery Rainstorm

Eruptive occurrences on the sun exhibit remarkable diversity. Some instances involve solitary solar flares, while others entail an additional expulsion of solar material referred to as a coronal mass ejection (CME). Yet, certain events showcase intricate mobile formations linked to fluctuations in magnetic field lines, creating loops that extend into the sun's outer atmosphere, the corona.

On the date of July 19, 2012, a solar outburst transpired that encompassed all three of these phenomena. Initially, a moderately potent solar flare erupted near the sun's lower right limb, emitting light and radiation into space. Subsequently, a CME surged outward towards the right, propelling material into the interstellar expanse. To conclude this solar spectacle, an awe-inspiring manifestation of magnetic activity emerged, commonly known as coronal rain.

Throughout the ensuing day, the intensely hot plasma present in the corona underwent cooling and condensation along robust magnetic fields within the designated area. While magnetic fields themselves are invisible, the charged plasma obediently traversed these lines, revealing its presence vividly through the extreme ultraviolet wavelength of 304 Angstroms. This wavelength highlights matter at a temperature of approximately 50,000 Kelvin. This dynamic plasma behaves as a tracer, affording scientists the opportunity to observe the intricate choreography of magnetic fields on the sun, as it gradually descends back to the sun's surface.

The captivating footage showcased in this video compilation was captured by the AIA instrument aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The observatory collected individual frames at a rate of one every 12 seconds, and the resulting video playback maintains a speed of 30 frames per second. Thus, each second depicted in the video corresponds to a span of 6 real-time minutes. The video encapsulates the time span from 12:30 a.m. EDT to 10:00 p.m. EDT on July 19, 2012.