On Monday, NASA released a new video of the sun putting on what looked like a magical light show, otherwise known as “stretched loops.”
According to NASA, the brilliant lights seen in the video happen when an active region of the sun is rotated, showing its profile. When this occurs, the sun’s elongated loops stretch and sway above it. NASA says these loops are actually charged particles that are made visible by “extreme ultraviolet light.” When they’re moved along the magnetic field lines of the active region of the sun, you can see glimmering yellow lights.
The video covers nearly 30 hours of activity. Check out the video above.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- Coco Gauff Is Playing for Herself Now
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- If You're Dating Right Now , You're Brave: Column
- The AI That Could Heal a Divided Internet
- Fallout Is a Brilliant Model for the Future of Video Game Adaptations
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com