Plasma Downflows in Spicules

Mysterious Plasma Jets On The Sun By tuning the Lockheed tunable filter, scientists are able to apply a "speed filter" to the image of the Sun. For example, in this image, the dark features are jets of gas moving away from us at speeds of ~30,000 miles/hour, back towards the Sun's surface. Scientists use images like this one to study the evolution in time of the jets: how long they live, what altitudes they reach before falling back down to the surface, and how hot they become during their lifetime (usually about ~20,000 degrees Fahrenheit). See also: - Spicule: Jets on the Sun - Our stunning Sun collection