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    "results": [
        {
            "id": 40548,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/solarand-heliospheric-observatory-soho/",
            "result_type": "Gallery",
            "release_date": "2026-03-03T00:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "SOHO – Solar and Heliospheric Observatory",
            "description": "Launched in December 1995, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) is a joint mission between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) designed to study the Sun inside out. Though its mission was originally scheduled to last until 1998, SOHO continues to collect observations about the Sun’s interior, the solar atmosphere, and the constant stream of solar particles known as the solar wind, adding to scientists' understanding of our closest star and making many new discoveries, including finding more than 5,000 comets.\n\nLearn more: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/soho/",
            "hits": 500
        },
        {
            "id": 5577,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5577/",
            "result_type": "Animation",
            "release_date": "2025-11-20T09:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "SDO Sun This Week",
            "description": "This visualization shows SDO AIA-304 imagery from the past 7 days with a color table and image processing applied. Archive folders are provided in the Download menu.",
            "hits": 468
        },
        {
            "id": 20409,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20409/",
            "result_type": "Animation",
            "release_date": "2025-08-22T09:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "The Heliosphere and Galactic Cosmic Rays",
            "description": "Surrounding our solar system is a giant protective bubble created by particles and magnetic fields from the Sun called the heliosphere. Every 11 years, the Sun’s activity ramps up and down in what’s known as the solar cycle. As the Sun reaches its peak activity level, called solar maximum, the heliosphere expands. During this time, the heliosphere’s protective shield is strengthened by the increase in particles and magnetic fields from the Sun. As a result, fewer damaging particles from the galaxy, such as galactic cosmic rays, are able to penetrate into the heliosphere. As the Sun ramps down into a low level of activity, called solar minimum, the heliosphere shrinks and more cosmic rays are able to enter the heliosphere. || ",
            "hits": 446
        },
        {
            "id": 5543,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5543/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2025-06-11T10:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Solar Magnetic Field - from Solar Minimum to Solar Maximum",
            "description": "Visualizations of the solar magnetic field evolution as a potential-field-source-surface model (PFSS) from solar minimum (2019) to solar maximum (2025).",
            "hits": 185
        },
        {
            "id": 5344,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5344/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2024-10-15T14:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Solar Cycle 25 - the Solar Magnetic Field from Solar Minimum to Pole Flip",
            "description": "One advantage of long-lived missions like Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is the ability to see slow but significant changes over long periods of time.This view from SDO's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) shows the evolution of sunspots on the solar disk starting from solar minimum (around December 2019) and into the maximum solar activity phase.  The video ends in September 2024, however this maximum phase is expected to continue into 2025.",
            "hits": 561
        },
        {
            "id": 14683,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14683/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2024-10-15T13:30:00-04:00",
            "title": "NASA, NOAA Announce That the Sun Has Reached the Solar Maximum Period",
            "description": "In a teleconference with reporters on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), and the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced the Sun has reached its solar maximum period.The solar cycle is the natural cycle of the Sun as it transitions between low and high activity. Roughly every 11 years, at the height of the solar cycle, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip — on Earth, that’d be like the North and South Poles swapping places every decade — and the Sun transitions from sluggish to active and stormy.During the most active part of the cycle, known as solar maximum, the Sun can unleash immense explosions of light, energy, and solar radiation — all of which create conditions known as space weather. Space weather can affect satellites and astronauts in space, as well as communications systems — such as radio and GPS — and power grids on Earth. When the Sun is most active, space weather events become more frequent. Solar activity, such as the storm in May 2024, has led to increased aurora visibility and impacts on satellites and infrastructure in recent months.Listen to the media telecon.Read NASA's article about the news. || ",
            "hits": 836
        },
        {
            "id": 40520,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/solar-cycle25/",
            "result_type": "Gallery",
            "release_date": "2024-06-28T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Solar Cycle 25",
            "description": "The Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel, an international group of experts co-sponsored by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), announced that solar minimum occurred in December 2019, marking the start of Solar Cycle 25. Since then, the Sun’s activity has been steadily increasing as it approaches solar maximum — the peak of Solar Cycle 25.A new solar cycle comes roughly every 11 years. Over the course of each cycle, the Sun transitions from relatively calm to active and stormy, and then quiet again. At its peak, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip.Understanding the Sun’s behavior is an important part of life in our solar system. The Sun’s outbursts, including eruptions known as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, can disturb satellites and communication signals traveling around Earth. Scientists study the solar cycle so we can better understand and predict solar activity.",
            "hits": 556
        },
        {
            "id": 5302,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/5302/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2024-06-05T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "A Long View of the last Solar Minimum",
            "description": "A month-long view of the Solar Cycle 24 solar minimum, as seen in the 171A filter of Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).",
            "hits": 21
        },
        {
            "id": 4892,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4892/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2022-01-18T12:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "Faculae and Sunspots at Solar Maximum and Solar Minimum",
            "description": "Movie of SDO/AIA 1700 angstrom imagery, collected near solar maximum (April 2014).  Note the small dark regions (sunspots) and the brighter speckled regions (faculae) around them. || SolarMax_AIA1700A_stand.HD1080i.00300_print.jpg (1024x576) [61.4 KB] || SolarMax_AIA1700A_stand.HD1080i.00300_searchweb.png (320x180) [35.9 KB] || SolarMax_AIA1700A_stand.HD1080i.00300_thm.png (80x40) [3.3 KB] || SolarMax_AIA1700A (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || SolarMax_AIA1700A_stand.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [66.8 MB] || SolarMax_AIA1700A_stand.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [3.0 MB] || SolarMax_AIA1700A (3840x2160) [0 Item(s)] || SolarMax_AIA1700A_stand.UHD2160_p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [270.8 MB] || SolarMax_AIA1700A_stand.HD1080i_p30.mp4.hwshow [201 bytes] || ",
            "hits": 114
        },
        {
            "id": 13776,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13776/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2020-12-15T21:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "2020 AGU Roundtable: What will we learn from Solar Cycle 25?",
            "description": "Solar Cycle 25 is here, ushering in the next season of space weather from the Sun. As our star’s activity ramps up—a natural part of its roughly 11-year cycle—scientists are eager to test their predictions. In this AGU 2020 media roundtable, scientists will discuss outstanding questions in solar cycle science, what opportunities this new cycle provides researchers, and how we track progress in predictions. || ",
            "hits": 91
        },
        {
            "id": 13716,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13716/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2020-09-17T13:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "The Solar Cycle As Seen From Space",
            "description": "VIDEO IN ENGLISH Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.The Sun is stirring from its latest slumber. As sunspots and flares, signs of a new solar cycle, bubble from the Sun’s surface, scientists are anticipating a flurry of solar activity over the next few years. Roughly every 11 years, at the height of this cycle, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip—on Earth, that’d be like the North and South Poles’ swapping places every decade—and the Sun transitions from sluggish to active and stormy. At its quietest, the Sun is at solar minimum; during solar maximum, the Sun blazes with bright flares and solar eruptions. In this video, view the Sun's disk from our space telescopes as it transitions from minimum to maximum in the solar cycle.Music credit: \"Observance\" by Andrew Michael Britton [PRS], David Stephen Goldsmith [PRS] from Universal Production Music || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_YouTube.01410_print.jpg (1024x576) [68.8 KB] || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_YouTube.01410_searchweb.png (320x180) [35.9 KB] || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_YouTube.01410_web.png (320x180) [35.9 KB] || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_YouTube.01410_thm.png (80x40) [3.8 KB] || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_Twitter.mp4 (1920x1080) [21.2 MB] || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_YouTube.webm (1920x1080) [11.0 MB] || SolarCycleAsSeenFromSpace.en_US.srt [630 bytes] || SolarCycleAsSeenFromSpace.en_US.vtt [641 bytes] || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_Facebook.mp4 (1920x1080) [115.2 MB] || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_Prores.mov (1920x1080) [1.3 GB] || 13716_SolarCycleFromSpace_YouTube.mp4 (1920x1080) [153.6 MB] || ",
            "hits": 110
        },
        {
            "id": 13714,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13714/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2020-09-15T13:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Solar Cycle 25 Is Here. NASA, NOAA Scientists Explain What This Means",
            "description": "Solar Cycle 25 has begun. The Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel announced solar minimum occurred in December 2019, marking the transition into a new solar cycle. In a press event, experts from the panel, NASA, and NOAA discussed the analysis and Solar Cycle 25 prediction, and how the rise to the next solar maximum and subsequent upswing in space weather will impact our lives and technology on Earth.A new solar cycle comes roughly every 11 years. Over the course of each cycle, the star transitions from relatively calm to active and stormy, and then quiet again; at its peak, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip. Now that the star has passed solar minimum, scientists expect the Sun will grow increasingly active in the months and years to come.Understanding the Sun’s behavior is an important part of life in our solar system. The Sun’s outbursts—including eruptions known as solar flares and coronal mass ejections—can disturb the satellites and communications signals traveling around Earth, or one day, Artemis astronauts exploring distant worlds. Scientists study the solar cycle so we can better predict solar activity.Click here for the NOAA press kit.Listen to the media telecon.Participants:• Lisa Upton, Co-chair, Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel; Solar Physicist, Space Systems Research Corporation• Doug Biesecker, Solar Physicist, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center; Co-chair, Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel• Elsayed Talaat, Director, Office of Projects, Planning and Analysis; NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service • Lika Guhathakurta, Heliophysicist, Heliophysics Division, NASA Headquarters • Jake Bleacher, Chief Exploration Scientist, NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate || ",
            "hits": 289
        },
        {
            "id": 13715,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13715/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2020-09-15T13:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "How To Track The Solar Cycle",
            "description": "A new solar cycle comes roughly every 11 years. Over the course of each cycle, the Sun transitions from relatively calm to active and stormy, and then quiet again; at its peak, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip. Now that the star has passed solar minimum, scientists expect the Sun will grow increasingly active in the months and years to come.Understanding the Sun’s behavior is an important part of life in our solar system. The Sun’s outbursts—including eruptions known as solar flares and coronal mass ejections—can disturb the satellites and communications signals traveling around Earth, or one day, Artemis astronauts exploring distant worlds. Scientists study the solar cycle so we can better predict solar activity. As of 2020, the Sun has begun to shake off the sleep of minimum, which occurred in December 2019, and Solar Cycle 25 is underway. Scientists use several indicators to track solar cycle progress. || ",
            "hits": 246
        },
        {
            "id": 4854,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4854/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2020-09-15T10:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Coronal Holes at Solar Minimum and Solar Maximum",
            "description": "A sample of solar coronal holes around the time of the maximum of sunspot activity (April 2014).  Note the polar regions are devoid of coronal holes but a large hole appears in the southern hemisphere. || CoronalHoleMax_AIA193_00150_print.jpg (1024x1024) [173.1 KB] || CoronalHoleMax_AIA193_00150_searchweb.png (320x180) [89.6 KB] || CoronalHoleMax_AIA193_00150_thm.png (80x40) [7.4 KB] || CoronalHoleMax_AIA193_2048p30.mp4 (2048x2048) [61.7 MB] || CoronalHoleMax_AIA193_2048p30.webm (2048x2048) [2.9 MB] || AIA193-Time (4096x4096) [64.0 KB] || AIA193-Frames (4096x4096) [64.0 KB] || CoronalHoleMax_Timestamp (600x100) [64.0 KB] || ",
            "hits": 138
        },
        {
            "id": 40421,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/the-solar-cycle/",
            "result_type": "Gallery",
            "release_date": "2020-09-14T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "The Solar Cycle",
            "description": "Solar Cycle 25 has begun. The Solar Cycle 25 Prediction Panel announced solar minimum occurred in December 2019, marking the transition into a new solar cycle. In a press event, experts from the panel, NASA, and NOAA discussed the analysis and Solar Cycle 25 prediction, and how the rise to the next solar maximum and subsequent upswing in space weather will impact our lives and technology on Earth.\nA new solar cycle comes roughly every 11 years. Over the course of each cycle, the star transitions from relatively calm to active and stormy, and then quiet again; at its peak, the Sun’s magnetic poles flip. Now that the star has passed solar minimum, scientists expect the Sun will grow increasingly active in the months and years to come.\n\nUnderstanding the Sun’s behavior is an important part of life in our solar system. The Sun’s outbursts—including eruptions known as solar flares and coronal mass ejections—can disturb the satellites and communications signals traveling around Earth, or one day, Artemis astronauts exploring distant worlds. Scientists study the solar cycle so we can better predict solar activity.",
            "hits": 95
        },
        {
            "id": 13706,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13706/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2020-09-11T06:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "NASA/NOAA Interview Opportunity: Space Weather live shots",
            "description": "Click here for NOAA's Solar Minimum Press Kit with downloadable imagery and b-roll.Cut b-roll for the live shots will be posted Tuesday, Sept 15 by 4:00 p.m. EST || SolarBanner5.jpg (382x2448) [463.6 KB] || SolarBanner5_print.jpg (1024x159) [164.0 KB] || SolarBanner5_searchweb.png (320x180) [93.2 KB] || SolarBanner5_thm.png (80x40) [18.1 KB] || ",
            "hits": 42
        },
        {
            "id": 40359,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/sdostillsand-graphics/",
            "result_type": "Gallery",
            "release_date": "2018-09-13T10:02:59-04:00",
            "title": "SDO: Stills and Graphics",
            "description": "No description available.",
            "hits": 277
        },
        {
            "id": 40357,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/sdo4k-content/",
            "result_type": "Gallery",
            "release_date": "2018-09-13T09:22:28-04:00",
            "title": "SDO: 4k Content",
            "description": "Since 2010, the Solar Dynamics Observatory has taken 60 million images of the sun and 2 comets.  Here are a few of our favorites.",
            "hits": 352
        },
        {
            "id": 40358,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/sdopresentation-resources/",
            "result_type": "Gallery",
            "release_date": "2018-09-07T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "SDO: Presentation Resources",
            "description": "No description available.",
            "hits": 63
        },
        {
            "id": 12706,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12706/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2017-09-06T11:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "A Powerful Sequence of Flares Start September 2017",
            "description": "Short video showing the sequence of M and X flares starting on September 4, 2017 and culminating with an X9.3 flare — the largest of the solar cycle.Music: \"Networked\" from Killer TracksWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || SDO_Flare_Still_3.jpg (1920x1080) [326.8 KB] || 12706_SDO_September_2017_Flares_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [2.9 GB] || 12706_SDO_September_2017_Flares_H264_Best_1080.mov (1920x1080) [1.1 GB] || 12706_SDO_September_2017_Flares_H264_Good_1080.m4v (1920x1080) [223.8 MB] || 12706_SDO_September_2017_Flares_Compatible.m4v (960x540) [90.1 MB] || 12706_SDO_September_2017_Flares_Compatible.webm (960x540) [23.8 MB] || 12706_SDO_September_2017_Flares_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [2.4 KB] || 12706_SDO_September_2017_Flares_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [2.3 KB] || ",
            "hits": 107
        },
        {
            "id": 4002,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4002/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2017-08-04T10:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "AR2665: The Lonely Sunspot of Solar Minimum",
            "description": "Full-disk view of sunspot group moving across the solar disk, AIA 171 ångstrom band. || July2017_AR2665_AIA171_stand.HD1080i.01000_print.jpg (1024x576) [53.8 KB] || AIA171 (1920x1080) [0 Item(s)] || July2017_AR2665_AIA171.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [53.5 MB] || July2017_AR2665_AIA171.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [8.5 MB] || July2017_AR2665_AIA171_2048p30.mp4 (2048x2048) [264.8 MB] || 171A-Frames (4096x4096) [0 Item(s)] || 171A-Time (4096x4096) [0 Item(s)] || July2017_AR2665_AIA171.HD1080i_p30.mp4.hwshow [200 bytes] || ",
            "hits": 39
        },
        {
            "id": 12336,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12336/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2016-08-11T11:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Solar Fireworks",
            "description": "A NASA spacecraft records a trio of flares on the sun. || c30-1024.jpg (1024x576) [196.5 KB] || c30-1280.jpg (1280x720) [267.1 KB] || c30-1920.jpg (1920x1080) [406.2 KB] || c30-1024_print.jpg (1024x576) [211.3 KB] || c30-1024_searchweb.png (320x180) [99.0 KB] || c30-1024_web.png (320x180) [99.0 KB] || c30-1024_thm.png (80x40) [7.1 KB] || ",
            "hits": 30
        },
        {
            "id": 12326,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12326/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2016-07-25T14:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "SDO Sees Trio of Mid-Level Flares",
            "description": "The sun emitted three mid-level solar flares on July 22-23, 2016, the strongest peaking at 1:16 am EDT on July 23. The sun is currently in a period of low activity, moving toward what's called solar minimum when there are few to no solar eruptions – so these flares were the first large ones observed since April. They are categorized as mid-strength flares, substantially less intense than the most powerful solar flares. || ",
            "hits": 28
        },
        {
            "id": 12292,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12292/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2016-06-24T15:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Solar Highlights of 2016/2017",
            "description": "A collection of solar highlights featuring:- NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)- NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) mission- ESA/NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)- NASA's Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) mission || ",
            "hits": 158
        },
        {
            "id": 11298,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11298/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2013-06-28T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Sun Emits a Solstice CME",
            "description": "On June 20, 2013, at 11:24 p.m., the sun erupted with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection or CME, a solar phenomenon that can send billions of tons of particles into space that can reach Earth one to three days later. These particles cannot travel through the atmosphere to harm humans on Earth, but they can affect electronic systems in satellites and on the ground. Experimental NASA research models, based on observations from NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and ESA/NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory show that the CME left the sun at speeds of around 1350 miles per second, which is a fast speed for CMEs. Earth-directed CMEs can cause a space weather phenomenon called a geomagnetic storm, which occurs when they funnel energy into Earth's magnetic envelope, the magnetosphere, for an extended period of time. The CME's magnetic fields peel back the outermost layers of Earth's fields changing their very shape. Magnetic storms can degrade communication signals and cause unexpected electrical surges in power grids. They also can cause aurora. Storms are rare during solar minimum, but as the sun's activity ramps up every 11 years toward solar maximum—currently expected in late 2013—large storms occur several times per year.In the past, geomagnetic storms caused by CMEs of this strength and direction have usually been mild. In addition, the CME may pass by additional spacecraft: Messenger, STEREO B, Spitzer, and their mission operators have been notified. If warranted, operators can put spacecraft into safe mode to protect the instruments from the solar material. || ",
            "hits": 56
        },
        {
            "id": 11072,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11072/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2012-11-26T10:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "SDO Solar Comparison October 2010 to October 2012",
            "description": "The sun goes through a natural solar cycle approximately every 11 years. The cycle is marked by the increase and decrease of sunspots — visible as dark blemishes on the sun's surface, or photosphere. The greatest number of sunspots in any given solar cycle is designated as \"solar maximum.\" The lowest number is \"solar minimum.\" The solar cycle provides more than just increased sunspots, however. In the sun's atmosphere, or corona, bright active regions appear, which are rooted in the lower sunspots. Scientists track the active regions since they are often the origin of eruptions on the sun such as solar flares or coronal mass ejections. The most recent solar minimum occurred in 2008, and the sun began to ramp up in January 2010, with an M-class flare (a flare that is 10 times less powerful than the largest flares, labeled X-class). The sun has continued to get more active, with the next solar maximum predicted for 2013. The journey toward solar maximum is evident in current images of the sun, showing a marked difference from those of 2010, with bright active regions dotted around the star. || ",
            "hits": 45
        },
        {
            "id": 10925,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10925/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2012-03-07T15:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "HD Close up of March 6th X5.4 Flare",
            "description": "The sun erupted with one of the largest solar flares of this solar cycle on March 6, 2012 at 7PM ET. ?This flare was categorized as an X5.4, making it the second largest flare — after an X6.9 on August 9, 2011 — since the sun's activity segued into a period of relatively low activity called solar minimum in early 2007. The current increase in the number of X-class flares is part of the sun's normal 11-year solar cycle, during which activity on the sun ramps up to solar maximum, which is expected to peak in late 2013. About an hour later, at 8:14 PM ET, March 6, the same region let loose an X1.3 class flare. ?An X1 is 5 times smaller than an X5 flare. These X-class flares erupted from an active region named AR 1429 that rotated into view on March 2. ?Prior to this, the region had already produced numerous M-class and one X-class flare. ?The region continues to rotate across the front of the sun, so the March 6 flare was more Earthward facing than the previous ones. ?It triggered a temporary radio blackout on the sunlit side of Earth that interfered with radio navigation and short wave radio.In association with these flares, the sun also expelled two significant coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are traveling faster than 600 miles a second and may arrive at Earth in the next few days. ?In the meantime, the CME associated with the X-class flare from March 4 has dumped solar particles and magnetic fields into Earth's atmosphere and distorted Earth's magnetic fields, causing a moderate geomagnetic storm, rated a G2 on a scale from G1 to G5. ?Such storms happen when the magnetic fields around Earth rapidly change strength and shape. ?A moderate storm usually causes aurora and may interfere with high frequency radio transmission near the poles. ?This storm is already dwindling, but the Earth may experience another enhancement if the most recent CMEs are directed toward and impact Earth. In addition, last night's flares have sent solar particles into Earth's atmosphere, producing a moderate solar energetic particle event, also called a solar radiation storm. These particles have been detected by NASA's SOHO and STEREO spacecraft, and NOAA's GOES spacecraft. ?At the time of writing, this storm is rated an S3 on a scale that goes up to S5. ?Such storms can interfere with high frequency radio communication. Besides the August 2011 X-class flare, the last time the sun sent out flares of this magnitude was in 2006. ?There was an X6.5 on December 6, 2006 and an X9.0 on December 5, 2006. Like the most recent events, those two flares erupted from the same region on the sun, which is a common occurrence. || ",
            "hits": 74
        },
        {
            "id": 10834,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10834/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2011-12-22T00:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "Magnetic Hotspots",
            "description": "Sunspots are the relatively cool, dark blemishes that appear on the sun's otherwise super-fiery and flawless surface. To scientists, these planet-sized phenomena indicate the location where strong magnetic fields that power solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) emerge from the sun's interior. The number of sunspots increases and decreases over time in a regular, approximately 11-year cycle, called the sunspot cycle. During each cycle sunspots migrate from the sun's mid-latitude regions towards the equator, with the highest number observed in any given cycle designated \"solar maximum\" and the lowest number designated \"solar minimum.\" Each cycle varies dramatically in number, with some solar maxima being so low as to be almost indistinguishable from the preceding minimum. Learn more about the sunspot cycle and see actual footage of sunspots in the videos below. || ",
            "hits": 55
        },
        {
            "id": 10804,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10804/",
            "result_type": "Produced Video",
            "release_date": "2011-10-27T08:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "The Solar Cycle",
            "description": "The number of sunspots increases and decreases over time in a regular, approximately 11-year cycle, called the sunspot cycle. The exact length of the cycle can vary. It has been as short as eight years and as long as fourteen, but the number of sunspots always increases over time, and then returns to low again. More sunspots mean increased solar activity, when great blooms of radiation known as solar flares or bursts of solar material known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) shoot off the sun's surface. The highest number of sun spots in any given cycle is designated \"solar maximum,\" while the lowest number is designated \"solar minimum.\" Each cycle, varies dramatically in intensity, with some solar maxima being so low as to be almost indistinguishable from the preceding minimum. Sunspots are a magnetic phenomenon and the entire sun is magnetized with a north and a south magnetic pole just like a bar magnet. The comparison to a simple bar magnet ends there, however, as the sun's interior is constantly on the move. By tracking sound waves that course through the center of the sun, an area of research known as helioseismology, scientists can gain an understanding of what's deep inside the sun. They have found that the magnetic material inside the sun is constantly stretching, twisting, and crossing as it bubbles up to the surface. The exact pattern of movements is not conclusively mapped out, but over time they eventually lead to the poles reversing completely. The sunspot cycle happens because of this poles flip — north becomes south and south becomes north—approximately every 11 years. Some 11 years later, the poles reverse again back to where they started, making the full solar cycle actually a 22-year phenomenon. The sun behaves similarly over the course of each 11-year cycle no matter which pole is on top, however, so this shorter cycle tends to receive more attention. || ",
            "hits": 607
        },
        {
            "id": 20185,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20185/",
            "result_type": "Animation",
            "release_date": "2010-10-01T11:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Heliopause Cycle",
            "description": "This animation shows the heliosphere expanding and contracting in response to the solar cycle. As the sun reaches solar maximum, the solar wind increases and expands the heliosphere. During solar minimum, the heliosphere contracts. || ",
            "hits": 69
        },
        {
            "id": 40051,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/solar-cycle/",
            "result_type": "Gallery",
            "release_date": "2010-03-08T00:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "Solar Cycle",
            "description": "No description available.",
            "hits": 19
        },
        {
            "id": 40052,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/sunspots/",
            "result_type": "Gallery",
            "release_date": "2010-03-04T00:00:00-05:00",
            "title": "Sunspots",
            "description": "Large cooler regions on the solar photosphere where magnetic flux is concentrated.",
            "hits": 139
        },
        {
            "id": 3505,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3505/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2009-10-01T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Solar Cycle 23: Minimum-Maximum-Minimum Synoptic Sequence",
            "description": "This is a sequence of solar synoptic maps covering Solar Cycle 23.The SOHO spacecraft began collecting this data in May of 1996, near the beginning (minimum) of the sunspot cycle. The sequence is projected in cylindrical-equidistant (CED) coordinates suitable for reprojection on spheres for animation or visualization purposes. These images are not suitable for scientific analysis.The original data were collected in FITS format from the SOHO/MDI archive, one image for each Carrington Rotation, which are 27.2753 days long.Solar minimum for Cycle 23 was in May 1996 (Carrington Rotation #1909), solar maximum around March 2000 (Carrington Rotation #1960), with a return to minimum about October 2008 (Carrington Rotation #2075). There are two gaps in the sequence, totalling four rotations, at Carrington rotations #1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, and 1998. These images are missing from the sequence due to SOHO being offline. Gaps in the data coverage for individual maps (occasional day outages or poor coverage near the poles of the Sun) were filled using data accumulated from previous maps.IMPORTANT NOTE: These images are for visualization purposes only. They are not suitable for scientific analysis. || ",
            "hits": 67
        },
        {
            "id": 3548,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3548/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2008-09-10T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Comparison: Solar Minimum from SOHO/EIT",
            "description": "This is a short movie of the Sun at the minimum of solar activity. This images are collected in ultraviolet light (a wavelength of 195 Å or 19.5 nanometers) which is only visible to space-based instruments. In visible light, few to now sunspots would be visible.At solar minimum, we see few bright active regions. The mottled look is from small 'hot spots' which last less than 48 hours. There are dark regions at the top and bottom of the Sun (corresponding to the north and south solar poles) created by solar magnetic field lines that connect to the interstellar magnetic field. A similar dark region, below the solar equator, is called a coronal hole, where open magnetic field lines enable particles to stream away at high speeds. || ",
            "hits": 38
        },
        {
            "id": 3549,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3549/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2008-09-10T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "Comparison: Solar Maximum from SOHO/EIT",
            "description": "A short movie of the Sun at maximum solar activity as seen in ultraviolet light. These images are collected in ultraviolet light (a wavelength of 195Å or 19.5 nanometers) which is only visible to space-based instruments. In visible light, the bright white regions in these images would probably correspond to sunspots.At solar maximum, we see many bright active regions which tend to form in bands in the northern and southern hemispheres. Many of the active regions may eventually launch solar flares or coronal mass ejections (CME). || ",
            "hits": 27
        },
        {
            "id": 3521,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3521/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2008-08-19T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "The Solar Dynamo: Toroidal and Poloidal Magnetic Fields",
            "description": "Using the solar plasma flows as input (see The Solar Dynamo: Plasma Flows), the equations of magnetohydrodynamics, and 'seeding' the calculations with an initial small magnetic field, one can compute how a magnetic field can grow and be maintained. This is the dynamo process, the net result being that part of the Sun's outflowing thermal convective energy from nuclear processes is used to create the magnetic field.In this view of the solar dynamo mechanism, we examine the evolution of the toroidal magnetic field, the field intensity represented by colors on the right-hand cross-section, and the poloidal magnetic potential field, represented by colors on the left-hand cross-section. The poloidal magnetic potential is a scalar quantity that contains information about the radial and latitudinal magnetic field vectors. To see the radial magnetic field, see The Solar Dynamo: Toroidal and Radial Magnetic Fields.In this visualization, the magnetic field lines (represented by the 'copper wire' structures) are 'snapshots' of the field structure constructed at each time step of the model. These field lines should not be considered as 'moving' or 'stretching' as the model evolves in time. Even this simplified model reproduces a number of characteristics observed in the actual solar magnetic field. Cyclic behavior with oscillations in the magnetic field amplitude.Magnetic regions at the surface migrate from high latitudes towards the equator as the solar cycle progresses. This reproduces the \"Butterfly Diagram\" pattern.Surface magnetic polarities reverse with each cycleBecause this model is axisymmetric, it cannot simulate non-axisymmetric features such as active longitudes. || ",
            "hits": 195
        },
        {
            "id": 3583,
            "url": "https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/3583/",
            "result_type": "Visualization",
            "release_date": "2008-08-19T00:00:00-04:00",
            "title": "The Solar Dynamo: Toroidal and Radial Magnetic Fields",
            "description": "Using the solar plasma flows as input (see The Solar Dynamo: Plasma Flows), the equations of magnetohydrodynamics, and 'seeding' the calculations with an initial small magnetic field, one can compute how a magnetic field can grow and be maintained. This is the dynamo process, the net result being that part of the Sun's outflowing thermal convective energy from nuclear processes is used to create the magnetic field.In this view of the solar dynamo mechanism, we examine the evolution of the toroidal magnetic field, intensities represented by color on the right-hand cross-section, and the radial magnetic field, represented on the left-hand cross-section. To see the poloidal magnetic vector potential, see The Solar Dynamo: Toroidal and Poloidal Magnetic Fields.In this visualization, the magnetic field lines (represented by the 'copper wire' structures) are 'snapshots' of the field structure constructed at each time step of the model. These field lines should not be considered as 'moving' or 'stretching' as the model evolves in time.Even this simplified model reproduces a number of characteristics observed in the actual solar magnetic field.Cyclic behavior with oscillations in the magnetic field amplitude.Magnetic regions at the surface migrate from high latitudes towards the equator. This reproduces the \"Butterfly Diagram\" pattern.Surface magnetic polarities reverse with each cycleBecause this model is axisymmetric, it cannot simulate non-axisymmetric features such as active longitudes. || ",
            "hits": 78
        }
    ]
}