NASA observatory spots giant filament on the Sun

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, which keeps a tab on the sun 24 hours a day, has observed a snaking, extended filament of solar material on the front portion of the sun, NASA said in a statement.

The SDO has observed the gigantic filament for several days as it rotated around with the sun.

If straightened out, the filament would reach almost across the whole sun, about one million miles or 100 times the size of Earth, the statement added.

Filaments are clouds of solar material suspended above the sun by powerful magnetic forces. These filaments are quite unstable but can last for days or even weeks.

SDO captured images of the filament in numerous wavelengths. By looking at any solar feature in different wavelengths and temperatures, scientists can learn more about what causes such structures, as well as what catalyzes their occasional giant eruptions into space, the statement said.

SDO is designed to help scientists understand the Sun's influence on Earth and near-Earth space.