EIT Images of the W limb events of 1996/12/23 - 24
All images are in Fe XII 195 Å.
The "Main Event"
20:32 UT
20:41 UT
20:53 UT
Click on the thumbnails for 256 x 256 pixel, full-resolution GIF images.
This is really two or three events overlapping in time.
The first "change" we notice is at 19:30:37 UT, in the small prominence
just N of the AR on the W limb.
At 20:20:43, the "main" event just S of the apparent
equator starts, loop in absorption visible at 20:41:32, "outrunner" emission
loop with absorption needle's-eye inside at 20:53:26 (pretty much gone in one
frame ==> v >= 410 km/s, probably greater since it appears to start from behind
the limb). If we assume that the absorbing material behind the outrunner is
the same as the loop in the 20:41:32 image, the dark material is moving at
~ 230 km/s. The thin filament to the S of the active region, at the ~ 4:00
position, starts to rise at 21:22:43 UT.
An emission transient (heating/photoionization of filament?) rising at 4:00
position at 12/24 00:51:49 UT, appears to last until end of movie (12:45:00
UT). There's a bright flash at the SE end of the SW streamer (still on disk,
near edge of S polar hole) at 01:33:00 - 02:44:25, then starts travelling back
westward (03:01:49 UT) and disappears thereafter as the whole streamer appears
to expand.
In case it isn't obvious, this is really preliminary and may well
be wrong, partially or totally. So exercise a little rational thought before
accpeting anything said on this page.
Web curator:
Joseph B. Gurman
Responsible NASA official:
Joseph B. Gurman,
Facility Scientist, Solar Data Analysis Center
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Solar Physics Branch / Code 682
Greenbelt, MD 20771