AR 1142 and a Neutral Line Filament

here is the first solar time lapse of the 2011 year. the sun has been showing increased activity as the current solar cycle progresses. many solar features are now visible on what was once a blank sun. this movie shows an emerging flux region (EFR) that was designated AR1142. it was captured on 1 jan 2011 from 1727-1927 UT. hot plage is shown as it boils beneath 2 active region filaments, and a huge neutral line filament swirls between solar magnetic regions. 

this is a small giff, and experiment for quicker download as the clip is 2 hours of solar action. i have been reading a great book, “guide to the sun,” by K J H phillips. a very comprehensive and detailed book that contains little math. outdated perhaps, but a nice companion to “encyclopedia of the sun” by k lang.  both books are cambridge university press pubs, and  i reccomend both to all who wish to learn more about the sun. another nice, mid level book is “fundamentals of solar astronomy” by bhatnagar and livingston.  of coarse, the 2 best books are “astrophysics of the sun” by h zirin, and ”solar astrophysics” by p fokal. both are very heavy, comprehensive texts with lots of math formulas, but alot of great detail to pick through between the equasions. also, i reccomend a google book search for  the term “solar prominence.”  it will bring up several great online books with free access, including historic and modern journal pubs. you can read and browse solar subjects for hours. dont forget to search some other terms too, like “solar filament” or “sunspots.”  and  happy new year!