the Sun Always Shines on TV

A few days back, the NASA Solar Orbiter captured the largest solar prominence eruption ever recorded. 

This is not to be confused with a solar flare.  DUH!

Ok. I didn't know either.

A prominence is a bright, relatively dense, and relatively cool arched cloud of ionized gas in the chromosphere and corona of the Sun. .

A solar flare is a sudden, brief (typically lasting only a few minutes), and explosive release of solar magnetic energy that heats and accelerates the gas in the Sun's atmosphere 

Still, some guys take note when someone utters a phrase that includes "the largest". 

While not directed towards earth, the eruption covered millions of kilometers (ugh - metrics.....again!) in space........which in some weird ratio is kind of like the Earth equivalent of between Lexington and Louisville.  That is me making that analogy, not Neil deGrasse Tyson. 

The Full Sun Imager captured this event, which is was sent into space to do. Flirt with the sun and pass by it - the closest it will come will be on March 26th. 

I'm looking forward to what it sees and how it will work, being so close to a big ball of gas. Kind of like me after Taco Bell. 

Song by: a-ha