Almost Touching

Working behind the scenes to create the incredible displays of hydrogen plasma that adorn the edge of the sun is the force of magnetism. Most of the grand prominences we can see (if we’re lucky enough to have a safe solar filter that isolates the hydrogen-alpha window of the visible spectrum - a line deep in the red wavelengths) are arc-shaped structures, looping in and out of magnetically charges active regions. Sometimes they are oblique to us, making it difficult to appreciate their form and movement without the help of animation. But when we get a view across their length, their magnetic character is shown in all its glory. When I saw this one, I was reminded of a famous 16th century theistic interpretation of the forces of the universe at work.