Prominences

A structure in the Sun’s corona consisting of cool plasma supported by magnetic fields. Prominences are dark structures when seen against the bright solar disk, but appear bright when seen over the solar limb. Prominences seen against the disk of the Sun are also known as filaments. The most recognizable prominences appear as huge arching columns of gas above the limb of the Sun. Like Sunspots, prominences are cooler (about 10,000 °C) in relation to the much hotter background of the Sun’s outer atmosphere (about 1,500,000 °C). Prominences can also erupt from the Sun with tremendous energy.