NASA's Amazing Imaging of Solar Flares

Researchers using NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory have captured stunning images of the sun's surface. The sun, with a surface temperature reaching one million degrees Fahrenheit, sends plasma flares into space. The Solar Dynamics Observatory, launched on February 11, 2010, is tasked with monitoring the sun. According to NASA, these images describe the state of the sun's magnetic fields and show scientists how the sun's magnetic field changes on its surface and within. This magnetic map was created using a potential field source surface model, which is a model of the magnetic field in the sun's atmosphere based on magnetic measurements at the sun's surface. The images were taken using ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 171 angstroms, which is invisible to the human eye. The Daily Mail also reported that a video has been released to mark the sixth anniversary of the Solar Dynamics Observatory's launch, showing over a year of activity on the sun from January 2015 to January 28 of this year. These images are captured every twelve seconds using ten different wavelengths of light to record a complete spectrum of radiation emitted by the sun. When viewing these images, it appears that the sun is getting larger and smaller. This is due to the changing orbit of the Solar Dynamics Observatory as it moves closer to or further from Earth. However, capturing such images of an object moving at nearly 7,000 miles per hour (11,200 kilometers per hour) is quite remarkable. The sixth year of the Solar Dynamics Observatory's operation is a significant success for NASA, as it was expected to remain operational for only five years. Researchers combined measurements related to the power and direction on the sun's surface with computer simulations. NASA scientists believe that understanding what creates the sun's magnetic system can aid future space explorations. Last June, the Solar Dynamics Observatory captured images of a massive eruption on the sun's surface. The phenomenon known as 'coronal mass ejection' was observed on June 18 and 19. Solar flare particles typically cannot pass through the atmosphere and harm humans, but they can affect satellite electronic systems. Despite all the solar activity in 2015, astronomers announced last week that the sun is in its quietest period in the past century.