{ "id": 4623, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4623/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "The Dynamic Solar Magnetic Field with Introduction", "description": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. || SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_print.jpg (1024x576) [198.9 KB] || SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_thm.png (80x40) [6.0 KB] || SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_web.png (320x180) [84.1 KB] || SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_HD1080_p30_Narrated.webm (1280x720) [33.9 MB] || SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_HD1080_p30_Narrated.mov (1280x720) [7.4 GB] || SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_UHD2160_p30_Narrated.mov (3840x2160) [12.8 GB] || ", "release_date": "2018-04-30T10:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2024-12-15T22:38:06.550567-05:00", "main_image": { "id": 438615, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_print.jpg", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 }, "main_video": null, "main_credits": { "Visualizations by": [ { "name": "Tom Bridgman", "employer": "Global Science and Technology, Inc." } ], "Written by": [ { "name": "Karen Fox", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ], "Scientific consulting by": [ { "name": "Marc L. DeRosa", "employer": "LMSAL" } ] }, "progress": "Complete", "media_groups": [ { "id": 327001, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4623/#media_group_327001", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.
This video is also available on our YouTube channel.
", "items": [ { "id": 248944, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438615, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_print.jpg", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 248945, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438614, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_thm.png", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } }, { "id": 248946, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438616, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_web.png", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_web.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 248947, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438618, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_HD1080_p30_Narrated.webm", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_HD1080_p30_Narrated.webm", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 248942, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438617, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_HD1080_p30_Narrated.mov", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_HD1080_p30_Narrated.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } }, { "id": 248943, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438613, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_UHD2160_p30_Narrated.mov", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_UHD2160_p30_Narrated.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This narrated visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.This video is also available on our YouTube channel.", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 327000, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4623/#media_group_327000", "widget": "Basic text with HTML", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "While the sun is well known as the overwhelming source of visible light in our solar system, a substantial part of its influence is driven by some aspects less visible to human perception - the magnetic field.

In this visualization we start a view of the Sun in visible light (similiar to what you would see from the ground on Earth), to a view in extreme ultraviolet wavelengths (only visible to space-based instruments) which shows hot plasma streaming along magnetic field lines, to a magnetogram (derived from the visible light data) and finally to a three-dimensional magnetic field model built from that data. The sphere represents the solar photosphere, with neutral grey indicating a magnetic field of near zero intensity, black representing a magnetic field pointing INTO the sun (south or negative polarity) and white representing a magnetic field pointing OUT of the sun (north or positive polarity). We see that these magnetic regions often appear in nearby pairs of opposite polarities - which in visible light would often correspond to a pair of sunspots.

Most of the solar photosphere has a magnetic field intensity of a few gauss while the active regions which form around sunspots can have magnetic fields of a few thousand gauss. Modern space-based instruments such as HMI (Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager) on the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) enable us to measure the intensity of the magnetic field at the visible surface of the sun.

Using this measured magnetic field on the photosphere, combined with mathematical models based on Maxwell's equations and plasma physics, we can construct how the magnetic field would look above the photosphere. Here, the white magnetic field lines are considered 'closed'. They move up, and then return to the solar surface. We often see these closed lines associated with pairs of active regions on the sun. The green and violet lines represent field lines that are considered 'open'. Green represents positive magnetic polarity, and violet represents negative polarity. These field lines do not connect back to the sun but with more distant magnetic fields in space.

Here we build one of the simpler magnetic field models, called Potential Field Source Surface or PFSS, to construct how the magnetic 'lines of force' might look above the sun. The PFSS model represents the simplest and most steady magnetic field possible, though here we sample the field each day to illustrate the slow changes of the magnetic structure over time, in this case between January 1, 2011 through December 30, 2014.

This camera view is fixed in Carrington Heliographic coordinates, so it moves with an 'average' solar rotation value with a period of 25.38 days. The solar equator moves faster than this, and high latitudes move slower. This makes active regions near the equator appear to move to the right (on average) while higher latitude regions move leftward.

Some might note that this model looks rather different than an earlier version The Sun's Magnetic Field. In the earlier version, we were interested in the magnetic field structure significantly above the solar surface and so the model is examined favoring the field lines that reach high above the photosphere. In the model presented here, we are more interested in the magnetic field around the solar active regions, so we examine the model much closer to the photosphere, which favors magnetic field lines clustered around the active regions.

An artifact in this visualization is a 'jump' of change that sweeps through the magnetic loops about once per month based on the timestamp in the lower left corner. This is an artifact of the fact that these types of magnetic field measurements can only be done on one side of the sun at a time. As the sun rotates, the features disappear over the limb and new ones appear on the opposite limb. While on the far-side of the sun from Earth, we have no direct measurements. However, we do have models that can simulate the slow changes in the field while not visible from Earth (described in the science paper Photospheric and heliospheric magnetic fields by Carolus J. Schrijver and Marc L. De Rosa). The 'jump' is created at the seam where the less accurate model gets overwritten by newer data.", "items": [], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 327002, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4623/#media_group_327002", "widget": "Video player", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.

Coming soon to our YouTube channel.
", "items": [ { "id": 248954, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438625, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_HD1080.03636_print.jpg", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_HD1080.03636_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 248955, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438624, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_HD1080.03636_searchweb.png", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_HD1080.03636_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 248956, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438622, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_HD1080.03636_thm.png", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_HD1080.03636_thm.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 80, "height": 40, "pixels": 3200 } }, { "id": 248958, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438629, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_searchweb.png", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.04000_searchweb.png", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 320, "height": 180, "pixels": 57600 } }, { "id": 248952, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438626, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/", "filename": "1920x1080_16x9_30p", "media_type": "Frames", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 248957, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438628, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_HD1080_p30.webm", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_HD1080_p30.webm", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 248948, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438627, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_HD1080_p30.mp4", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_HD1080_p30.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 248953, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438621, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/frames/3840x2160_16x9_30p/", "filename": "3840x2160_16x9_30p", "media_type": "Frames", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 248949, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438623, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_2160p30.mp4", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_2160p30.mp4", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } }, { "id": 248950, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438620, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_HD1080_p30.mov", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_HD1080_p30.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 1920, "height": 1080, "pixels": 2073600 } }, { "id": 248951, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438619, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_UHD2160_p30.mov", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_ProRes3_UHD2160_p30.mov", "media_type": "Movie", "alt_text": "This visualization transitions from a view of the Sun in visible light, to a view in ultraviolet light showing the plasma flowing along solar magnetic structures, to the underlying magnetic field of the solar photosphere, to a model construction of magnetic fieldlines above the photosphere.Coming soon to our YouTube channel.", "width": 3840, "height": 2160, "pixels": 8294400 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 327003, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4623/#media_group_327003", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "A view of the Sun in visible light, showing a few sunspots.", "items": [ { "id": 248959, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438630, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.00390_print.jpg", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.00390_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A view of the Sun in visible light, showing a few sunspots.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 327004, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4623/#media_group_327004", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "A view of the Sun in ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 171 Ångstroms.", "items": [ { "id": 248960, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438631, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.00930_print.jpg", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.00930_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A view of the Sun in ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 171 Ångstroms.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 327005, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4623/#media_group_327005", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "A photospheric magnetogram, showing regions of strong magnetic fields.", "items": [ { "id": 248961, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438632, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.01650_print.jpg", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.01650_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "A photospheric magnetogram, showing regions of strong magnetic fields.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } ], "extra_data": {} }, { "id": 327006, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4623/#media_group_327006", "widget": "Single image", "title": "", "caption": "", "description": "The PFSS magnetic field model, one of the possible configurations for the magnetic field near the Sun based on the photospheric magnetogram.", "items": [ { "id": 248962, "type": "media", "extra_data": null, "title": null, "caption": null, "instance": { "id": 438633, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004600/a004623/SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.02280_print.jpg", "filename": "SolarMagnetism_UHD3840.02280_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "The PFSS magnetic field model, one of the possible configurations for the magnetic field near the Sun based on the photospheric magnetogram.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } } ], "extra_data": {} } ], "studio": "svs", "funding_sources": [ "NASA Heliophysics" ], "credits": [ { "role": "Visualizer", "people": [ { "name": "Tom Bridgman", "employer": "Global Science and Technology, Inc." } ] }, { "role": "Writer", "people": [ { "name": "Karen Fox", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." }, { "name": "Sarah Frazier", "employer": "ADNET Systems, Inc." } ] }, { "role": "Scientist", "people": [ { "name": "Marc L. DeRosa", "employer": "LMSAL" } ] } ], "missions": [ "SDO" ], "series": [], "tapes": [], "papers": [ "Photospheric and heliospheric magnetic fields by Carolus J. Schrijver and Marc L. De Rosa", "Photospheric and heliospheric magnetic fields by Carolus J. Schrijver and Marc L. De Rosa" ], "datasets": [ { "name": "Magnetic Field Lines", "common_name": "PFSS", "platform": null, "sensor": "PFSS", "type": "Model", "organizations": [ "NASA and ESA" ], "description": "This model generated from SOHO/MDI magnetograms through the SolarSoft package.", "credit": "", "url": "http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/solarsoft/", "date_range": "2011-01-01 to 2014-12-30" }, { "name": "Continuum", "common_name": "SDO Continuum", "platform": "SDO", "sensor": "HMI", "type": "Other", "organizations": [], "description": "", "credit": "", "url": "", "date_range": "2010-10-01 to 2011-01-01" }, { "name": "Magnetogram", "common_name": "SDO Magnetogram", "platform": "SDO", "sensor": "HMI", "type": "Data Compilation", "organizations": [], "description": "", "credit": "", "url": "", "date_range": "2010-10-01 to 2014-12-30" }, { "name": "171 Filter", "common_name": "AIA 171", "platform": "SDO", "sensor": "AIA", "type": "Other", "organizations": [ "JOINT SCIENCE OPERATIONS CENTER " ], "description": "", "credit": "", "url": "http://jsoc.stanford.edu/", "date_range": "2010-10-01 to 2011-01-01" } ], "nasa_science_categories": [ "Sun" ], "keywords": [ "Corona", "EUV Imaging", "Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging", "HDTV", "Heliophysics", "Hyperwall", "Magnetic Fields", "SDO", "Solar Dynamics Observatory", "Solar Magnetic Field", "Solar Wind", "Space Weather", "Ultraviolet Imagery", "Visible Light Imaging" ], "recommended_pages": [], "related": [ { "id": 4788, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4788/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "The Solar Polar Magnetic Field", "description": "From our single vantage point of Earth, our view of the Sun is never complete. While the far-side of the Sun eventually rotates into view, coverage of the Sun's polar regions is never satisfactory as perspective effects either completely block our view or create a distorted view. We must often resort to computer modeling of these solar polar regions.This visualization presents the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) magnetic field model based on solar observations covering the years 2017-2019. One version also presents the 'hole' in our measurements of the solar polar region. The region oscillates in size over the course of the year due to the changing perspective created by the tilt of Earth's orbital plane with the solar equator. In this region, researchers must resort to approximations to build a more complete view of the solar magnetic field.Why is the solar magnetic field in this region important? Because the combined with the outgoing flow of the solar wind, the magnetic field lines from the polar regions curve up, and then back down to near the Sun's equatorial plane, which is still fairly close to the orbital plane of Earth and other planets in our solar system. This gives the Sun's polar magnetic field a significant influence on the space weather impacting Earth and crewed and uncrewed assets around the solar system. || ", "release_date": "2020-02-04T12:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:45:13.561169-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 387970, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004700/a004788/PFSSPolarTour_inertial.HD1080i.0240_print.jpg", "filename": "PFSSPolarTour_inertial.HD1080i.0240_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "This movie gives a view starting at equator and tipping to a view of the north heliographic pole (the blue axis) then dipping down to the south heliographic pole. Closed field lines are white/grey, green and violet lines represent field lines that are considered 'open'. Green represents positive magnetic polarity, and violet represents negative polarity. The dark rings around the blue polar axis show the region where the solar surface magnetic field must be generated from a model. This region grows and shrinks depending on SDOs position in its orbit around the Sun and Earth (above and below the solar equator, which is tilted by 7.25 degrees relative to Earth's orbital plane).", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 13527, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13527/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "New Mission Will Take First Peek at Sun’s Poles", "description": "A new spacecraft is journeying to the Sun to snap the first pictures of the Sun’s north and south poles. Solar Orbiter, a collaboration between ESA (the European Space Agency) and NASA will have its first opportunity to launch from Cape Canaveral on Feb. 7, 2020, at 11:15 p.m. EST. Launching on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, the spacecraft will use Venus’ and Earth’s gravity to swing itself out of the ecliptic plane — the swath of space, roughly aligned with the Sun’s equator, where all planets orbit. From there, Solar Orbiter's bird’s eye view will give it the first-ever look at the Sun's poles.Read more: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/new-mission-will-take-first-peek-at-sun-s-poles || ", "release_date": "2020-01-27T12:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:45:15.119552-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 387931, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a013500/a013527/13537_SolarOrbiterOverview_YouTube.00725_print.jpg", "filename": "13537_SolarOrbiterOverview_YouTube.00725_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "VideoWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Music credits: “Oxide” and “Virtual Tidings” by Andrew Michael Britton [PRS], David Stephen Goldsmith [PRS]; “Progressive Practice” by Emmanuel David Lipszc [SACEM], Franck Lascombes [SACEM], Sebastien Lipszyc [SACEM]; “Political Spectrum” by Laurent Dury [SACEM} from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 4124, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4124/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "The Sun's Magnetic Field", "description": "During the course of the approximately 11 year sunspot cycle, the magnetic field of the Sun reverses. The last time this happened was around the year 2000. Using magnetograms from the SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI instruments, it is possible to examine possible configurations of the magnetic field above the photosphere. These magnetic configurations are important in understanding potential conditions of severe space weather.The magnetic field in this animation is constructed using the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model. The PFSS model is one of the simplest yet realistic models we can explore. Using the solar magnetograms as the 'source surface' of the field, it builds the field structure from the photosphere out to about two solar radii (an altitude of 1 solar radius). These visuals were generated using the SolarSoft package. In this visualization, the white magnetic field lines are considered 'closed'. The move up, and then return to the solar surface. The green and violet lines represenent field lines that are considered 'open'. Green represents positive magnetic polarity, and violet represents negative polarity. These field lines do not connect back to the Sun but with more distant magnetic fields in space. These field lines act as easy 'roads' for the high-speed solar wind. || ", "release_date": "2013-12-05T18:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:51:22.920202-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 460247, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004100/a004124/PFSS_0400.jpg", "filename": "PFSS_0400.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Evolution of the solar magnetic field from 1997 to 2013. Version with time-stamp written in the image file.", "width": 1024, "height": 1024, "pixels": 1048576 } } ], "sources": [], "products": [ { "id": 12104, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12104/", "page_type": "Produced Video", "title": "The Dynamic Solar Magnetic Field - Narrated", "description": "Holly Gilbert, NASA GSFC solar scientist, explains a model of magnetic fields on the sun. || thumb.jpg (1280x720) [156.8 KB] || thumb_searchweb.png (320x180) [124.7 KB] || thumb_thm.png (80x40) [20.5 KB] || 12104_b-roll.mov (1280x720) [2.0 GB] || 12104_original.mov (1920x1080) [3.8 GB] || 12104_youtube_hq.mov (1920x1080) [1.7 GB] || 12104_appletv.m4v (1280x720) [63.5 MB] || 12104_b-roll.webm (1280x720) [24.5 MB] || 12104_lowres.mp4 (480x272) [19.2 MB] || ", "release_date": "2016-01-29T10:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:48:56.942751-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 436471, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a012100/a012104/thumb.jpg", "filename": "thumb.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Holly Gilbert, NASA GSFC solar scientist, explains a model of magnetic fields on the sun.", "width": 1280, "height": 720, "pixels": 921600 } } ], "newer_versions": [], "older_versions": [ { "id": 4391, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4391/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "The Dynamic Solar Magnetic Field", "description": "A visualization of the slow changes of the solar magnetic field over the course of four years. || PFSSbasicView_inertial.HD1080i.0400_print.jpg (1024x576) [168.7 KB] || PFSSbasicView_inertial.HD1080i.0400_searchweb.png (180x320) [78.9 KB] || PFSSbasicView_inertial.HD1080i.0400_thm.png (80x40) [5.8 KB] || PFSSbasicView_inertial_1080p30.webm (1920x1080) [18.1 MB] || PFSSbasicView (1920x1080) [128.0 KB] || PFSSbasicView_inertial_1080p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [326.6 MB] || PFSSbasicView_inertial_1080p10.mp4 (1920x1080) [470.2 MB] || PFSSbasicView_HD1080p10.mov (1920x1080) [804.4 MB] || PFSSbasicView_inertial_1080p30.mp4.hwshow [232 bytes] || ", "release_date": "2016-01-29T10:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2024-10-09T00:05:50.144911-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 438574, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a004300/a004391/PFSSbasicViewHR_inertial.0000_print.jpg", "filename": "PFSSbasicViewHR_inertial.0000_print.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "High-resolution still image of the solar magnetic field via PFSS - January 1, 2011.", "width": 1024, "height": 576, "pixels": 589824 } }, { "id": 3346, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3346/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Grand Tour of the Coronal Loops Model", "description": "This is a longer coronal loops tour combining components of the two previous versions (Animation IDs 3286 and 3287). The solar model is constructed from magnetogram data collected by SOHO/MDI. Because we do not see the full solar surface at any one time, the magnetograms collected over the course of a solar rotation are processed through a time-evolving solar surface model which provides a snapshot of the surface at a fixed time. The resulting magnetogram is then processed through the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model which constructs the magnetic field above the solar surface. The magnetic field around the Sun is then analyzed for field lines, which creates the loop structures we see in the model. Hot plasma tends to flow along the magnetic field lines, creating the coronal loops. These loops are only visible at the higher temperatures corresponding to ultraviolet light, in this case, 195 angstroms, one of the filter wavelengths of SOHO/EIT. For this version, we color the coronal loops green for ready comparison to the EIT 195 angstrom imagery using the EIT standard color table. || ", "release_date": "2006-03-30T00:00:00-05:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:55:55.405386-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 511250, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003300/a003346/loopsDeluxeHR.1245.jpg", "filename": "loopsDeluxeHR.1245.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "We begin our flight through the loops, noting that the more prominent regions on the surface have a higher density of field lines.", "width": 2560, "height": 1920, "pixels": 4915200 } }, { "id": 3286, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3286/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Flight through the Coronal Loops", "description": "Here we illustrate the potential benefits of the 3-D views of the Sun which STEREO will provide. Starting with a simple 2-D EIT ultraviolet image from SOHO, we transition to a 3-D model and move through the coronal loops which are constructed along solar magnetic fields. The solar model is constructed from magnetogram data collected by SOHO/MDI. Because we do not see the full solar surface at any one time, the magnetograms collected over the course of a solar rotation are processed through a time-evolving solar surface model to provide a snapshot of the surface at a fixed time. The resulting magnetogram is then processed through the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model. Coronal loops are visible at the higher temperatures of ultraviolet light, in this case, 195 angstroms, the filter wavelength of SOHO/EIT. For this version, we color the coronal loops green for ready comparison to the EIT 195 angstrom imagery using the EIT 'standard color table'. || ", "release_date": "2005-10-27T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:56:01.275937-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 512293, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003200/a003286/loopsTourHR.0590_web.jpg", "filename": "loopsTourHR.0590_web.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "We pass over another group of active regions.", "width": 320, "height": 240, "pixels": 76800 } }, { "id": 3287, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3287/", "page_type": "Visualization", "title": "Rotating Tour of Solar Coronal Loops", "description": "A slow rotating tour of a data-based coronal loop model. This version is designed for continuous loop play. The solar model is constructed from magnetogram data collected by SOHO/MDI. Because we do not see the full solar surface at any one time, the magnetograms collected over the course of a solar rotation are processed through a time-evolving solar surface model to provide a snapshot of the surface at a fixed time. The resulting magnetogram is then processed through the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model. Coronal loops are visible at the higher temperatures of ultraviolet light, in this case, 195 angstroms, the filter wavelength of SOHO/EIT. || ", "release_date": "2005-10-27T00:00:00-04:00", "update_date": "2023-05-03T13:56:01.396167-04:00", "main_image": { "id": 512324, "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a003200/a003287/loopsOrbitHR.0180.jpg", "filename": "loopsOrbitHR.0180.jpg", "media_type": "Image", "alt_text": "Another angle of the model showing a number of active regions.", "width": 2560, "height": 1920, "pixels": 4915200 } } ], "alternate_versions": [] }