In a rare and exciting phenomenon, researchers at the Romanian Institute of Space Sciences successfully documented a giant solar tornado alongside a massive plasma explosion on the Sun’s surface in a single image captured on August 20 by researcher Maximilian Teodorescu. Scientists consider the simultaneous occurrence of these events exceptional, as each is usually an independent phenomenon linked to changes in the Sun’s invisible magnetic field.

According to Live Science, the solar tornado reached a height of about 130,000 kilometers, equivalent to stacking more than ten Earths, while typical tornado sizes range between 25,000 and 100,000 kilometers. Additionally, Teodorescu documented an eruptive solar prominence about 200,000 kilometers wide, comparable to the famous ‘monster’ prominence observed last July.

Unlike terrestrial tornadoes, solar tornadoes do not spin air and wind but superheated plasma held by the Sun’s magnetic field. When instability occurs, plasma escapes into space as an eruptive prominence. The Sun often ejects plasma clouds known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which can affect Earth’s magnetic field, causing auroras and damaging satellites. Fortunately, the recent ejection was not directed toward Earth.

This phenomenon was observed through the global GONG network, a series of telescopes dedicated to continuous solar monitoring. Teodorescu’s wife, researcher Eliza, assisted in directing the telescope to obtain the clearest possible images.

This discovery comes as the Sun undergoes its solar maximum phase, the most active point in its 11-year cycle. Scientists expect more solar tornadoes, eruptions, and coronal ejections during this period, making it one of the most exciting times to safely observe the Sun with astronomical equipment.