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Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "items": [ { "id": 492584, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158705, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/ThreeStars_Still.jpg", "filename": "ThreeStars_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "As a star ages, its spin and the number and sizes of its spots decreases as shown in this animation of a Sun-like star. 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Star spots are tied to local magnetic fields that have been amplified by the star’s rotation, so the phenomena are connected.A version without labels is available for download.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 492586, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158707, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_ThreeStars_4k.mp4", "filename": "14906_ThreeStars_4k.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "As a star ages, its spin and the number and sizes of its spots decreases as shown in this animation of a Sun-like star. Star spots are tied to local magnetic fields that have been amplified by the star’s rotation, so the phenomena are connected.A version without labels is available for download.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492588, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158709, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_ThreeStars_NoText_4k.mp4", "filename": "14906_ThreeStars_NoText_4k.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "As a star ages, its spin and the number and sizes of its spots decreases as shown in this animation of a Sun-like star. 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Star spots are tied to local magnetic fields that have been amplified by the star’s rotation, so the phenomena are connected.A version without labels is available for download.Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 378977, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14906/#media_group_378977", "widget": "Basic text with HTML", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "Stars display several observable changes as they age. For example, in Sun-like stars, the rate of rotation slows over millions of years. The number of dark surface features called star spots also decreases.
NASA’s TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) scans a wide swath of the sky for about a month at a time, looking for variations in the light from stars to spot orbiting planets. Scientists the same TESS data to determine how fast the stars are rotating by looking at regular fluctuations in their light caused when star spots come in and out of view. Because rotation slows with age, astronomers can use TESS to learn more about how stars evolve over time.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 378969, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14906/#media_group_378969", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 100 million years old.\r
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "items": [ { "id": 492592, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158713, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/100MillionYearOldStar_Still.jpg", "filename": "100MillionYearOldStar_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 100 million years old.\rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492593, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158714, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/100MillionYearOldStar_Still.png", "filename": "100MillionYearOldStar_Still.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 100 million years old.\rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492595, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158716, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_100MillionYearOldStar_1080.mp4", "filename": "14906_100MillionYearOldStar_1080.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 100 million years old.\rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 492594, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158715, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_100MillionYearOldStar_4k.mp4", "filename": "14906_100MillionYearOldStar_4k.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 100 million years old.\rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492596, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158717, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_100MillionYearOldStar_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov", "filename": "14906_100MillionYearOldStar_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 100 million years old.\rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 378970, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14906/#media_group_378970", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 500 million years old. \r
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "items": [ { "id": 492676, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158723, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/500MillionYearOldStar_Still.jpg", "filename": "500MillionYearOldStar_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 500 million years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492677, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158724, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/500MillionYearOldStar_Still.png", "filename": "500MillionYearOldStar_Still.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 500 million years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492678, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158725, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_500MillionYearOldStar_1080.mp4", "filename": "14906_500MillionYearOldStar_1080.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 500 million years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 492679, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158727, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_500MillionYearOldStar_4k.mp4", "filename": "14906_500MillionYearOldStar_4k.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 500 million years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492680, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158729, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_500MillionYearOldStar_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov", "filename": "14906_500MillionYearOldStar_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 500 million years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 378971, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14906/#media_group_378971", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 1 billion years old. \r
Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "items": [ { "id": 492681, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158718, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/1BillionYearOldStar_Still.png", "filename": "1BillionYearOldStar_Still.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 1 billion years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492682, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158719, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/1BillionYearOldStar_Still.jpg", "filename": "1BillionYearOldStar_Still.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 1 billion years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492684, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158721, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_1BillionYearOldStar_1080.mp4", "filename": "14906_1BillionYearOldStar_1080.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 1 billion years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 492683, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158720, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_1BillionYearOldStar_4k.mp4", "filename": "14906_1BillionYearOldStar_4k.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 1 billion years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 492685, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 1158722, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014906/14906_1BillionYearOldStar_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov", "filename": "14906_1BillionYearOldStar_ProRes_3840x2160_2997.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This animation shows the rotation rate and spot coverage for a Sun-like star 1 billion years old. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } } ], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "gms", "funding_sources": [ "NASA Astrophysics" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Producer", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "eMITS" } ] }, { "role": "Animator", "people": [ { "name": "Scott Wiessinger", "employer": "eMITS" } ] }, { "role": "Science writer", "people": [ { "name": "Jeanette Kazmierczak", "employer": "University of Maryland College Park" } ] } ], "missions": [ "TESS" ], "series": [ "Astrophysics Animations" ], "tapes": [], "papers": [], "datasets": [], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Universe" ], "keywords": [ "Ast", "Astrophysics", "Space", "Star", "Sunspot Number", "TESS", "Universe" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 14928, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14928/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "TESS Triples Size of Pleiades Star Cluster", "description": "These young, hot blue stars are members of the Pleiades open star cluster and reside about 430 light-years away in the northern constellation Taurus. The brightest stars are visible to the unaided eye during evenings from October to April. A new study finds the cluster to be triple the size previously thought — and shows that its stars are scattered across the night sky. The Schmidt telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California captured this color-composite image. Credit: NASA, ESA, and AURA/CaltechAlt text: Members of the Pleiades shine in blue. Image description: The Pleiades are shown in this image. Six of the stars, all blue-white, are larger than the others and have diffraction spikes and faint blue circles around them. Other, smaller blue stars are also scattered across the image. Patches of swirling blue dust surround some of the stars. || STScI-01EVVEYWX1TA3MGBK5F6EFQVGQ.jpg (4877x3513) [1.1 MB] || ", "release_date": "2025-11-20T10:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2026-01-14T14:33:59.652887-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 1159637, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a014900/a014928/Pleiades_members_gal_4K_searchweb.png", "filename": "Pleiades_members_gal_4K_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This image shows an all-sky view of the Greater Pleiades Complex with the plane of our Milky Way running through the middle. Members of the original open cluster are in blue, and new members are in yellow. The constellations are outlined and labeled in green. \rCredit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; background, ESA/Gaia/DPAC; Boyle et. al. 2025\rAlt text: An oval view of the entire sky scattered with blue and yellow dots showing the known members of the Greater Pleiades Complex\rImage description: A wavy line of dots crosses this oval view of our Milky Way galaxy. A clump of blue dots, the original Pleiades open cluster, is located just below the middle of the image. The rest of the dots are yellow and show the new members of the Greater Pleiades Complex. The constellations are outlined and labeled in green. ", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [], "alternate_versions": [] }