"2024's 'Great American Eclipse' Over, When and Where to See the Next Total Solar Eclipse"

During the recent total solar eclipse, observers were treated to the sight of bright red dots along the Sun's perimeter, which were actually solar prominences—reddish or pinkish structures extending from the Sun's edge. These prominences, composed of plasma and anchored to the Sun's surface, are distinct from solar flares and are a result of the Sun's dynamic phase during its 11-year cycle. Astronomers eagerly anticipate studying these features during eclipses, and the recent event provided a rare opportunity for ground-based observers to witness these stellar phenomena firsthand.