Scientists have created mini-coronal loops to simulate banana-sized solar flares in the lab to investigate how massive explosions on the sun's surface launch energetic particles and X-rays into space.

Many coronal loops — ropey strands of plasma that scientists have long thought existed in the Sun’s atmosphere — may actually be optical illusions, according to a new paper that challenges prevailing ...

The Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) for July 30, 2025, features an awe-inspiring image of coronal loops on the Sun, offering a rare glimpse into the dynamic behavior of our star. Captured by ...

Coronal loops, well-defined hot strands of plasma that arch out into the sun’s atmosphere, are iconic to the sun’s imagery. But many of the supposed coronal loops we see might not be there at all.

Astronomers using the Inouye Solar Telescope have captured the sharpest-ever images of a solar flare, revealing coronal loops as thin as 21 km wide. These threadlike plasma structures, imaged during ...

Some of the most spectacular features on the Sun are its coronal loops — incandescent structures of hot plasma that arc for thousands of miles above magnetically active regions of the Sun, forming ...

The banana-size solar flares could lead to a better understanding of high-energy solar physics. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.