Which statement best defines a solar prominence?

• A. A dark spot on the Sun's surface.
• B. A large, bright, gaseous feature extending outward from the Sun's surface, often in a loop shape.
• C. A brief solar wind burst.
• D. A region of intense magnetic storms on Earth

Answer: (B)

A solar prominence is a large, bright gaseous feature that extends outward from the Sun’s surface, often in a loop shape. It consists of relatively cool, dense plasma held in place by magnetic field lines in the hot solar corona, so you see it arching away from the surface. This matches the description of a bright loop of solar material extending outward from the Sun. The other possibilities describe a sunspot (a dark region on the Sun), a brief solar wind burst, or Earth’s geomagnetic storms, none of which are the looping solar structures known as prominences.