Coronal loop in the Sun's atmosphere

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The inner atmosphere of our solar system's star, the corona, is marked by temperatures soaring above several million degrees. Scorching hot coronal plasma is largely confined within massive loops of magnetic field that stretch from the sun's photosphere, forming its outer layer. These magnetic loops serve as the foundation for the sun's corona, and a model highlights one such loop - a vibrant red-yellow arch in the scene - which reaches temperatures of 3-4 million degrees due to energy release at its base points. Energy released at these points causes a gradual weakening of the magnetic field (depicted by green lines), resulting from the local reconnection of twisted field lines. The loop extends high above the sun's surface for thousands of kilometers, with a sphere representing Earth in similar scale located nearby. Reference: Reale et al. 2016, ApJ 830, id. 21. Credits: INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo. A stunning image of the Milky Way galaxy comes from ESO/S. Brunier.