NASA's SDO images active region loops on sun's surface

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured a close-up of plasma loops rolling off an active region of the sun on Tuesday.

The loops and arches reveal the glow of charged particles traveling along the chaotic lines of the sun's magnetic field. The image, captured over a period of 40 hours, captures the activity in two wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light.

This particular region of activity appears as a sunspot to the naked eye, as its ultraviolet emissions currently constitute little visible light. SDO's image, however, represents the two wavelengths, 171 angstroms and 304 angstroms, in gold and red, respectively.

On Monday, SDO captured an image of a mid-class solar flare.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory was launched in 2010 to help scientists better understand the sun's electromagnetic patterns and how these patterns influence space weather and Earth.