Prominent solar prominences

This image of the solar corona was taken by an ESA–CESAR team of scientists during the total solar eclipse visible from ESO's La Silla Observatory on 2 July 2019. It clearly shows bright red prominences — places where loops of glowing plasma flow up from the Sun's surface. The path of this plasma, composed of hydrogen and helium, is probably determined by the Sun's magnetic fields, which can twist and tangle in strange ways. We know that prominences can persist for weeks or even months, but we don't fully understand why they exist or what their internal dynamics are. This is why continuing research into the Sun's complex atmosphere is important, much of which can only be done during total solar eclipses.