NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory recorded an unusually large solar prominence on 20 August that scientists describe as one of the most striking eruptions of the current 11-year solar cycle. Imagery shows two towering fountains of plasma arcing high above the solar surface before collapsing back, a configuration that space-weather researchers say is rarely captured in such detail. The eruption, which unfolded over roughly three hours and spanned a distance greater than the Sun’s own diameter, was independently confirmed by the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The laboratory said the prominence was the most powerful it has tracked in recent years. Because the blast was directed away from Earth, forecasters do not expect major geomagnetic storms or widespread auroras. Nevertheless, experts note that the scale and frequency of recent outbursts underscore the Sun’s heightened activity as Solar Cycle 25 reaches its maximum, a phase that is likely to produce more frequent and energetic events through the remainder of the decade.