A close-up video of a small area of the sun highlighted three active regions, but the one in the center caught our attention the most (Jan. 20, 2017). Over half a day this active region sent dark swirls of plasma and bright magnetic arches twisting and turning above it. All the activity in the three areas was driven by competing magnetic forces. The dynamic action was observed in a wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light.

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PIA11703_GyratingActiveRegion_best.mp4
PIA11703_GyratingActiveRegion_sm.mp4

SDO is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Its Atmosphere Imaging Assembly was built by the Lockheed Martin Solar Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), Palo Alto, California.