what did i see on the sun today?

[alanjgreen]

I was out observing the sun this afternoon when I saw the following:

- a brightening area out to the limb

- a jet of bright material going straight out into space

- the jet grew visibly in seconds and continued to grow bright, straight and out off the side of the sun a huge distance

I have never observed something on the sun that changed in real time but this did ! and it was made of very bright material. it was like a missile coming out of the sun.

what was it?

( I was using my Lunt60 double stack)

Thanks

Alan

[Kropster]

An internal reflection in the scope?

[alanjgreen]

Kropster - it was nothing in the scope

it was a jet coming out of an area on the suns surface that I watched brighten for a few minutes previously.

[Steve Ward]

It was very impressive , seen here at  the 4 'o' clock position.

http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/latest/latest_1024_0304.mp4

[Luke]

Congrats on seeing that, Alan.    And thanks Steve for the movie, loved watching that.

Hope the sun comes out to play today at lunch time. I suppose the weekend is asking for too much!

[Steve Ward]

Looking reasonable up til lunchtime but wet this afternoon .

[Luke]

Wow, big bunch of cloud heading this way on Sat24, I fear the MetOffice has been gving me an optimisitc take for today

[alanjgreen]

Thanks Steve.

I saw it at the 8o'clock position in the lunt (which when reversed puts it at your 4 o'clock)

Does that type of "event" have a name?

[alanjgreen]

here is a still from Steve's post showing what I saw...

I did some reading this morning & wonder if this is a "surge prominence"??

[Peter Drew]

A lot of solar nomenclature seems to be made up on the hoof, specially prominences. The "spike" or "jet" which is what I call them is fairly common if you are able to observe the Sun on a regular basis, they can certainly move very fast, in the order of 40,000 Km per hour. Sometimes  a "loop" can be seen edge on which gives the impression of a spike. Good catch!.  

[Joves]

Damn, wish I had have seen that!

Well done!!