Spin and counter-spin erupting prominence

The STEREO (Ahead) spacecraft recently caught an erupting prominence that demonstrates the convoluted physics of magnetic reconnection (May 21–22, 2008). In the beginning of the video clip prominence material is ejected up and away from the Sun's surface. The remaining plasma (ionized gas) of the prominence is being pulled in several directions by powerful magnetic forces from an active region. It appears to spin counter-clockwise then clockwise over a period of a few hours. This kind of rotation of solar material is quite similar to an event on April 9, 2008, with movies from the Hinode and TRACE missions just reported on by Dr. Tony Phillips as a cart-wheel CME at science.nasa.gov (see http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/27may_cartwheelcme.htm). This one should give scientists yet another example to study.

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