New NASA video shows bursts of plasma shooting out, then retreating into the sun

A NASA spacecraft watching the sun has captured a new video of Earth's nearest star burping out plasma.

The video was captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) from July 9 to 10 and shows the special machinations of the star's complicated magnetic fields.

In some ways, it looks like this is a video played in reverse, but it isn't.

"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," NASA said in a statement.

"SDO captured this video in wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light, which are typically invisible to our eyes. The imagery is colorized here in red for easy viewing."

Sometimes, these bursts of hot plasma do leave the sun, shooting out in the solar system as "coronal mass ejections." 

If aimed the right way, these charged particles carried on the solar wind can slam into Earth's upper atmosphere, producing amazing auroras. If those solar storms are strong enough, they could affect the planet's electrical grids or even harm satellites in orbit.

Spacecraft like SDO are charged with keeping a close eye on the sun, in part, to help warn researchers on Earth of any impending solar storms that might impact the planet.