A Solar Filament Erupts:
In between sunspots the plasma flowing can either collapse or explode. Often the plasma collapses, but this is a rare event where it exploded. It is impossible to predict when one of these will occur and even if it will occur, due mainly to the ever changing magnetic field of the sun. As the filament exploded it sent ions and electrons outward, some of them hitting Earth approximately 3 days later. When they hit it impacted the Earth's magnetosphere, causing visible aurora, much more than the norm that we usually experience. There is an active region on the sun where these occur, although frequently changing. This is the beginning of a solar maximum that will impact us for the next two years.
Its so fascinating that this explosion was considered to be a "rare event." Its incredible that they were able to photograph such a thing! The impossibility of predicting the next explosion is what makes it so mysterious and that much more interesting.
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