Journeying Through 133 Days on the Sun

This video provides a captivating visual journey through 133 days of solar activity from August 12 to December 22, 2022, as captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Orbiting Earth, SDO has meticulously recorded the Sun's dynamic behavior in exquisite 4K x 4K resolution over nearly 13 years, yielding profound insights into our closest star's influence on the solar system.

Using a triad of instruments, SDO captures a Sun image every 0.75 seconds. The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) alone captures images every 12 seconds at 10 different light wavelengths. This time-lapse features imagery taken at a 17.1 nanometer wavelength, revealing the Sun's outermost atmospheric layer, the corona. Over 133 days, images taken 108 seconds apart are compiled into a mesmerizing 59-minute video, showcasing the Sun's rotation and bright active regions crossing its surface.

The loops extending above these regions represent magnetic fields trapping scorching plasma. These bright spots also give birth to solar flares, dazzling flashes created by magnetic fields reconnecting in a process called magnetic reconnection.

The video features an engaging musical backdrop from Lars Leonhard's "Geometric Shapes" album, courtesy of the artist. The imagery captures moments of Earth and the Moon eclipsing SDO, resulting in brief dark frames. Some image gaps stem from instrument calibration or data issues. SDO transmits a staggering 1.4 terabytes of daily data.

While the Sun sometimes appears off-center due to instrument calibration, SDO, along with other NASA missions, will continue observing our Sun, offering insights into our cosmic context and ensuring astronaut and asset safety.

Feel free to explore and share this awe-inspiring video, accompanied by its captivating music, at https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14263. While the complete video can be shared without permission, please respect any restrictions on music and imagery. More information on NASA's media guidelines is available.

Video Description: The left side showcases the Sun's full circle, displaying bright and dark regions that shift and flash like fires. Loops extending above the surface constantly morph. On the right, two squares offer close-ups of intriguing Sun regions.