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It’s always shining, always ablaze with light and energy that drive weather, biology and more. In addition to keeping life alive on Earth, the sun also sends out a constant flow of particles called the solar wind, and it occasionally erupts with giant clouds of solar material, called coronal mass ejections, or explosions of X-rays called solar flares. These events can rattle our space environment out to the very edges of our solar system. In space, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, keeps an eye on our nearest star 24/7. SDO captures images of the sun in 10 different wavelengths, each of which helps highlight a different temperature of solar material. In this video, we experience SDO images of the sun in unprecedented detail. Presented in ultra-high definition, the video presents the dance of the ultra-hot material on our life-giving star in extraordinary detail, offering an intimate view of the grand forces of the solar system. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Our senses tell us about the natural world, but our senses cannot tell us everything. That’s why we use tools, and NASA develops some of the most sophisticated, most exciting tools of all. Designed to reveal aspects of the Earth, the Sun, The Moon, these tools gather essential data about the world around us, while other instruments peer way out to much more distant places. When these data are turned into visualizations, we discover a complexity and elegance to the natural world that would otherwise elude our physical senses. Even more important, we uncover vital clues to understand how things work, how they’re changing, and what the implications for those changes may mean. With the advent of Ultra-High-Definition video, more commonly known as “4K Video”, those images take on an enhanced majesty and power. In this video, we present images about our home planet, as well as the life-giving star it orbits, and the mysterious moon that travels with us through space.

On April 17, 2016, an active region on the sun’s right side released a mid-level solar flare, captured here by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. This solar flare caused moderate radio blackouts, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Scientists study active regions – which are areas of intense magnetism – to better understand why they sometimes erupt with such flares. This video was captured in several wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light, a type of light that is typically invisible to our eyes, but is color-coded in SDO images for easy viewing. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO/Genna Duberstein The music is Collide by Greg Lehrman in the KillerTracks catalog

Can’t get enough of Earth? Then this is for you: an extended playback of Ultra High Definition views of Planet Earth, captured by NASA astronaut Jeff Williams during his mission on the International Space Station in 2016. You’ll see the French Riviera and the Sahara Desert, cross North America from Texas all the way to Canada, and more—this is your source for the view of your home planet from 250 miles up! Fire up the biggest screen you have. Then throw on your favorite music, kick back and watch.