133 Days on the Sun

This video documents solar activity from August 12 to December 22, 2022, using imagery captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Positioned in space around Earth, the SDO has observed the Sun in high-resolution 4K x 4K imagery for nearly 13 years, leading to numerous discoveries about our nearest star's behavior and its effects on the solar system. Equipped with three instruments, the SDO captures an image of the Sun every 0.75 seconds. The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument specifically obtains images every 12 seconds across 10 different wavelengths of light.

The featured 133-day time-lapse sequence showcases images taken at a wavelength of 17.1 nanometers, which highlights the Sun's outermost atmospheric layer known as the corona. Condensing 133 days into 59 minutes, the video reveals the Sun's rotation as bright active regions move across its surface. The Sun completes a rotation approximately every 27 days. Notably, the loops extending above the bright regions indicate magnetic fields containing hot, luminous plasma. These regions are also the source of solar flares, which manifest as bright flashes during the magnetic reconnection process when magnetic fields realign.

Occasional dark frames in the video result from Earth or the Moon passing between the SDO and the Sun, causing eclipses, as well as technical issues or data errors. Despite such interruptions, the SDO transmits an impressive 1.4 terabytes of data daily. Certain off-center Sun images were captured during instrument calibration.

The video underscores the vital role of SDO and other NASA missions in monitoring the Sun for insights about our position in space and for safeguarding astronauts and assets. The accompanying music is from Lars Leonhard's "Geometric Shapes" album. While the video can be freely shared, specific imagery and music may have usage restrictions. The visual content features the Sun's rotation, bright active regions, and loops, while insets provide close-ups of intriguing solar regions.