On May 24, 2025, scientists captured a remarkable image of a bird-shaped object near the Sun using the LASCO telescope. This object, identified as a solar prominence, is an immense structure of plasma held in place by the Sun's magnetic field.
The prominence's "wingspan" is estimated to be around 150,000 km, far exceeding the size of Earth. It extends approximately 2 million km from the Sun's surface. Solar prominences form over about a day and can persist in the corona for weeks or months, looping hundreds of thousands of kilometers into space.
Experts emphasize that this phenomenon is a common occurrence and discourage speculation about unconventional explanations. Solar prominences are frequently observed, and their shapes are dictated by the Sun's complex magnetic field. While visually striking, this event is a typical display of solar activity.