NASA Mission Captures Video of Massive Solar Fireworks

In days leading up to 4th of July, video captures mesmerizing solar activity.

ByABC News
July 7, 2014, 4:00 PM
 NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured mesmerizing video of solar activity in the days leading up to the Fourth of July. Two active regions with intense magnetic fields produced towering arches and spiraling coils of solar loops, making for some massive, natural fireworks.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured mesmerizing video of solar activity in the days leading up to the Fourth of July. Two active regions with intense magnetic fields produced towering arches and spiraling coils of solar loops, making for some massive, natural fireworks.
Solar Dynamics Observatory/NASA

— -- In the days leading up to the Fourth of July, our sun put on a massive fireworks display of its own -- and it was all captured on video by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory.

Two active regions on the surface of the sun with intense magnetic fields produced "towering arches and spiraling coils of solar loops above them" between June 29 and July 1, NASA said.

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Magnetic field lines can be seen in the extreme ultraviolet spectrum when charged particles travel along them.

The result is some mesmerizing video, captured by the SDO, which was launched on Feb. 11, 2010, from Cape Canaveral to study the sun.