Bursts of solar material from the sun in this close-up captured on July 9-10 by our Solar Dynamics Observatory. The sun is composed of plasma, a gas in which the negative electrons move freely around the positive ions, forming a powerful mix of charged particles. Each burst of plasma licks out from the surface only to withdraw back into the active region – a dance commanded by complex magnetic forces above the sun. More: http://go.nasa.gov/2a5iTeU