An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
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A solar → prominence with very rapid motion (up to 2,000 km s^-1), moving and changing in appearance over a few minutes of time, in contrast to a → quiescent prominence.

→ active; → prominence.

A huge solar prominence which has previously been quiescent but suddenly starts to lift up from the → photosphere with velocities of several hundred km/s and escapes into the → interplanetary space. Eruptive prominences with the highest velocities have been observed at 1300 km/s, reaching heights of 1 million km above the photosphere. Such prominences are often observed at the solar limb, in association with → coronal mass ejections. On the Sun's disk, the equivalent phenomenon is an eruptive filament.

→ eruptive; → prominence

A very bright active prominence in the form of a loop seen in Hα after a rather big flare. Also called "post-flare loops," they connect the feet where the two-ribbon flares were seen. The lifetime of loop prominences is several hours.

→ loop; → prominence.

A loop of hot, luminous gas in the Sun's → corona consisting of cool dense → plasma supported by magnetic fields. Prominences appear bright when seen against the cool blackness of space. When they are in silhouette against the disk they are known as → filaments. Their spectrum is dominated by lines of hydrogen, helium, and calcium. Prominences have temperatures of about 10,000 K, typical of the solar → chromosphere, and densities 100 times greater than the corona. There are → quiescent prominences and → active prominences.

From L. prominentia "a jutting out, protuberance," from prominere "jut or stand out," from → pro- "forward" + minere "to project."

Zabâné "tongue-like" (flame), from zabân "tongue; → language," + suffix -é.

A → solar prominence of relatively cool material that hovers over Sun's surface for weeks or months with relatively little overall change. Such prominences are suspended above the → chromosphere by → magnetic fields. A quiescent prominence may suddenly erupt outward and dissipate, often to be replaced, in the same location, by a new one. See also → eruptive prominence; → loop prominence.

→ quiescent; → prominence.

A large, arch-shaped filament of hot gas extending outward from the Sun's surface. More at → prominence.

→ solar; → prominence.