Observe the Skies
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National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Free
Use the Observatory's safe solar telescopes to take a close-up look at our nearest star, the Sun. Learn about solar activity and its effects on Earth from knowledgeable staff and volunteers.
The dome is under repairs. Today, the telescopes are set up outside the main Independence Avenue entrance of the Museum.
Schedules are subject to change and will be posted at Observatory entrance and at the Museum's Welcome Center. Viewings are dependent on clear weather.
Visitors to the Public Observatory on July 26, 2012 observed this prominence above the Sun, standing at least five times as tall as the Earth.
The Sun is made of hot gas, called plasma, which must flow along magnetic field lines. Magnetic arches above the Sun act like highways for gas, creating prominences of glowing gas like the one seen here.
The picture was taken at 1:24 p.m. using a hydrogen-alpha telescope, which only allows through one shade of red light.
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