Home | Gallery of astronomical pictures | SUN White-Light | AR_12107-12104_01072014_093000-UT

 

(Freely adapted from Wikipedia & Internet)

 

Light-Bridge

 

Observed in white light, a bright tongue or streaks penetrating or crossing sunspot umbrae. Light bridges typically develop slowly and have lifetimes of several days. The appearance of a light bridge is frequently a sign of impending active region division or dissolution. The more brilliant forms occur with overlying bright plage and often occur during the most active phase of the sunspot group.

 

Present picture:  Close up of two sunspots, 12107 & 12104. The single sunspots is similar in size as the Earth.

Looking at the large sunspot, a ‘light bridge’ extending into the much darker central umbra, the width of the light bridge suggests that the sunspot is mature and on the downward phase in its life cycle.

Also, filaments can just be seen in the lighter pre-umbra surrounding the core of the sunspot. The filaments are magnetic in nature and radiate out from centre.

 

 

 

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