A billowing arc of plasma erupts from the sun in this first-of-its-kind image

Talk about a sense of scale.

This image of a solar prominence is more than just the arcs of plasma cutting a path through outer space. The sense of scale you get when you see the sun and the moon side by side is important.

The largest solar prominence ever captured in a single image alongside the eruption of the sun was captured by the European Space Agency. The Solar Orbiter is a sun-observing satellite that is funded by NASA.

Credit: Solar Orbiter/EUI Team/ESA & NASA

This eye-catching look into the heart of our solar system is thanks to a combination of luck and timing. The Full Sun imager had enough room at the margins of the image to take in the full solar prominence when the event occurred. The eruption appeared to be moving away from Earth.

The Solar Orbiter would have had a less complete picture if the solar prominence occurred a month later. The Solar Orbiter could have been disrupted by an eruption in the direction of Earth.

A solar prominence is a type of mass ejection. Unlike solar flares, in which energy is released suddenly before being absorbed back into the sun, a solar prominence eruption sends massive concentrations of plasma jetting off into space.

That is what you are seeing here. The solar prominence is visible in the top- left corner of the image, and while it is a bit faint, it is easy to see the loop it has formed. A prominence like this can last for weeks or months.