Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2026 January 13 Your browser does not support the video tag. A Solar Eruption from SDO Video Credit: [2]NASA, [3]SDO, [4]AIA, [5]Helioviewer; Processing & Text: [6]Ogetay Kayali ([7]MTU) Explanation: What just leapt from the Sun? A [8]towering structure of solar [9]plasma suddenly rose from the Sun's surface and unfurled into space -- a structure so large that many Earths would easily fit within it-- marking the onset of a dramatic [10]Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). The event was captured in striking detail in late 2024 by NASA's [11]Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), whose continuous monitoring improves [12]space weather forecasts and helps humanity better understand [13]how solar activity affects satellites, GPS, radio communications, and power grids on Earth. The featured video blends three extreme-[14]ultraviolet views from SDO’s [15]Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), revealing how [16]plasma at different temperatures [17]surged upward as the eruption unfolded. Here, red highlights cooler, denser material lifted from the [18]Sun’s lower atmosphere, while yellow traces hotter, million-degree [19]coronal loops stretching outward as magnetic fields open. After the main outburst, the [20]Sun’s magnetic fields quickly reorganize. Tomorrow's picture: pool of whirl __________________________________________________________________ [21]< | [22]Archive | [23]Submissions | [24]Index | [25]Search | [26]Calendar | [27]RSS | [28]Education | [29]About APOD | [30]Discuss | [31]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [32]Robert Nemiroff ([33]MTU) & [34]Jerry Bonnell ([35]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [36]Specific rights apply. [37]NASA Web Privacy, [38]Accessibility, [39]Notices; A service of: [40]ASD at [41]NASA / [42]GSFC, [43]NASA Science Activation & [44]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://www.nasa.gov/ 3. https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 4. https://aia.lmsal.com/ 5. https://gs671-suske.ndc.nasa.gov/ 6. https://www.ogetay.com/ 7. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/ 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220216.html 9. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14299 10. https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/phenomena/coronal-mass-ejections 11. https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 12. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/spaceweather/ 13. https://www.weather.gov/safety/space 14. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves/ 15. https://aia.lmsal.com/ 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_(physics) 17. https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https://i.redd.it/qybjdo71k1d51.jpg 18. https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/the-sun-spot/2023/09/26/layers-of-the-sun/ 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250730.html 20. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4124/ 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260112.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 25. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 27. https://apod.com/feed.rss 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 30. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260113 31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260114.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 34. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 35. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 37. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 38. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 40. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 41. https://www.nasa.gov/ 42. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 43. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 44. http://www.mtu.edu/