Solar protuberance

A solar protuberance is a matter ejection which takes place on the Chromosphère Sun and extends in the crown. The ejected matter is mainly made up of Hydrogène, Hélium, and various metals in the form of incandescent gases (plasma). Let us note here that in astrophysics, all the elements heavier than the Hélium are gathered under name " métaux".

The protuberances are a demonstration among others of the solar filaments.

The sun is the seat of magnetic phenomena powerful. The activity of the core creates a magnetic field, and because of nonuniform rotation of the sun (faster at the equator than with the poles) these lines of field “are twisted” and formed loops in the layer external of the sun, which are ejected by involving with them part of the matter of this layer which is in the shape of plasma. In this form the matter follows the lines of magnetic fields and is found in fact accelerated outside the sun.

The sunspots are also the demonstration of lines of magnetic field, on the level of the Photosphère.

Means of detection

Average naturalness

At the time of a eclipse total or annular, the moon recovers sufficiently the sun so that the light of this last is sufficiently weak so that one can see solar protuberances with the telescope.

Artificial means

Thanks to an instrument called Coronographe. This one is placed on a telescope and hides the sun so that the protuberances are visible.
Thanks to interferential filters with band-width very narrow, based for example on the principle of the Interferometer of Fabry-Perot or on that of the Filter of Lyot.

Dependant articles

Coronographe
Filament_solaire
Sun

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