SDO: Painting On The Sun's Layers (2011.12.07) [720p]

The images of this Sun (Dec. 7, 2011) taken at almost the same time are shown in various wavelengths in various temperatures and layers of the Sun. In addition, we superimposed an illustration of the Sun's magnetic field lines to the view. We start off looking at the 6,000 °C. photosphere that shows the various sunspots on the "surface" of the Sun. Then we transition into the region between the chromosphere and the corona, at about 1 million °C. where, in extreme UV light, the active regions appear lighter. We phase in a composite of three different wavelengths showing temperatures up to 2 million °C. To top it off, we overlay a science-based estimation of the complex magnetic field lines (partly made visible in the first UV image) extending from and connecting the active regions before going back to the sunspot image.

credit: NASA / GSFC / SDO

source: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/potw.php?v=item&id=78

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Solar Dynamics Observatory
• the sun
• SDO
• solar astronomy
• space
• astronomy
• photosphere
• chromosphere

[djxatlanta]

@Ievolovel - just go to the Solar Dynamics website at sdo [dot] gsfc [dot] nasa [dot] gov [slash] data ... and you can download your own solar images in 4096x4096 resolution!

[Ievolovel]

I'd love to have each layer on separate posters and frame them :x