SDO: 4k Content

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) operates in a geosynchronous orbit around Earth to obtain a continuous view of the Sun. The particular instrument in this visualization records imagery in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum at wavelengths normally absorbed by Earth's atmosphere - so we need to observe them from space.Active Region 13559 now carried by solar rotation to the upper right limb of the solar disk, launches a mid-range (M6.8 class) flare. For details of this event, see the Space Weather database entry. A large arcade of plasma loops forms after the event, more visible in the 171 angstrom and 304 angstrom filters. An eclipse of the Sun by Earth provides a nice 'curtain close' for the event. For more information on the classification of solar flares, see Solar Flares: What Does It Take to Be X-Class? or X-Class: A Guide to Solar Flares. The point-spread function correction (PSF) has been applied to all this imagery. ||

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) operates in a geosynchronous orbit around Earth to obtain a continuous view of the Sun. The particular instrument in this visualization records imagery in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum at wavelengths normally absorbed by Earth's atmosphere - so we need to observe them from space.Almost simultaneous flares at Active Region 13559 (upper left of disk) and Active Region 13561 (lower right of disk) fire off, with a combined X-ray flux equivalent of an M5.1 solar flare. For details of this event, see the Space Weather database entry for both events.For more information on the classification of solar flares, see Solar Flares: What Does It Take to Be X-Class? or X-Class: A Guide to Solar Flares. The point-spread function correction (PSF) has been applied to all this imagery. ||

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured these images of a solar flare – as seen in the bright flash on the right of each image – on Feb. 16, 2024. The images show three subsets of extreme ultraviolet light that highlight the extremely hot material in flares and which are colorized in teal, gold, and red. Credit: NASA/SDO || Feb_16_Flare_Video_multi_still.jpg (1920x1080) [389.3 KB] || Feb_16_Flare_Video_multi_still_searchweb.png (320x180) [85.5 KB] || Feb_16_Flare_Video_multi_still_thm.png (80x40) [7.1 KB] || Feb_16_Flare_Video_multi.mp4 (1920x1080) [53.9 MB] || Feb_16_Flare_Video_multi.mov (1920x1080) [379.3 MB] ||

Brighter than a shimmering ghost, faster than the flick of a black cat’s tail, the Sun cast a spell in our direction, just in time for Halloween. This imagery captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory covers a busy few days of activity between Oct. 25-28 that ended with a significant solar flare. From late afternoon Oct. 25 through mid-morning Oct. 26, an active region on the left limb of the Sun flickered with a series of small flares and petal-like eruptions of solar material. Meanwhile, the Sun was sporting more active regions at its lower center, directly facing Earth. On Oct. 28, the biggest of these released a significant flare, which peaked at 11:35 a.m. EDT. Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDOMusic: "Immersion" from Above and Below. Written and produced by Lars LeonhardWatch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || ActiveOctober_Still.jpg (1920x1080) [956.2 KB] || 13982_ActiveOctober_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [2.4 GB] || 13982_ActiveOctober_1080_Best.mp4 (1920x1080) [436.2 MB] || 13982_ActiveOctober_1080.mp4 (1920x1080) [188.1 MB] || 13982_ActiveOctober_1080_Best.webm (1920x1080) [19.7 MB] || 13982_ActiveOctober_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [574 bytes] || 13982_ActiveOctober_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [587 bytes] ||

This imagery captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory shows a solar flare and a subsequent eruption of solar material that occurred over the left limb of the Sun on November 29, 2020. From its foot point over the limb, some of the light and energy was blocked from reaching Earth – a little like seeing light from a lightbulb with the bottom half covered up. Also visible in the imagery is an eruption of solar material that achieved escape velocity and moved out into space as a giant cloud of gas and magnetic fields known as a coronal mass ejection, or CME. A third, but invisible, feature of such eruptive events also blew off the Sun: a swarm of fast-moving solar energetic particles. Such particles are guided by the magnetic fields streaming out from the Sun, which, due to the Sun’s constant rotation, point backwards in a big spiral much the way water comes out of a spinning sprinkler. The solar energetic particles, therefore, emerging as they did from a part of the Sun not yet completely rotated into our view, traveled along that magnetic spiral away from Earth toward the other side of the Sun. While the solar material didn’t head toward Earth, it did pass by some spacecraft: NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, NASA’s STEREO and ESA/NASA’s Solar Orbiter. Equipped to measure magnetic fields and the particles that pass over them, we may be able to study fast-moving solar energetic particles in the observations once they are downloaded. These sun-watching missions are all part of a larger heliophysics fleet that help us understand both what causes such eruptions on the Sun -- as well as how solar activity affects interplanetary space, including near Earth, where they have the potential to affect astronauts and satellites.

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] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/CoronalHoleMaximum_193A/AIA193-Time/ (4096x4096) [64.0 KB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/CoronalHoleMaximum_193A/AIA193-Frames/ (4096x4096) [64.0 KB] || frames/600x100_6x1_30p/CoronalHoleMax_Timestamp/ (600x100) [64.0 KB] ||

Ten years of SDO AIA 171 angstrom data with day time stamp overlay. Frames are sampled approximately one image every hour. || SDOat10_AIA171_stand.UHD2160.01500_print.jpg (1024x576) [47.4 KB] || SDOat10_AIA171_stand.UHD2160.01500_searchweb.png (320x180) [40.9 KB] || SDOat10_AIA171_stand.UHD2160.01500_thm.png (80x40) [4.0 KB] || SDOat10_AIA171.1080p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [3.9 GB] || SDOat10_AIA171.1080p30.webm (1920x1080) [348.5 MB] || frames/3840x2160_16x9_30p/SDOat10_AIA171.baseimage/ (3840x2160) [8.0 MB] || SDOat10_AIA171.UHD2160_p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [13.0 GB] ||

Mercury transit visible through the 171 angstrom filter on SDO. || AIA171_00025_print.jpg (1024x1024) [108.7 KB] || AIA171_00025_searchweb.png (320x180) [65.6 KB] || AIA171_00025_thm.png (80x40) [5.2 KB] || AIA171_2048p30.mp4 (2048x2048) [19.2 MB] || AIA171_1024p30.mp4 (1024x1024) [3.7 MB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/AIA171-Frames/ (4096x4096) [16.0 KB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/AIA171-Time/ (4096x4096) [32.0 KB] || AIA171_4096p30_h265.mp4 (4096x4096) [13.6 MB] || AIA171_4096p30_h265.webm (4096x4096) [2.7 MB] ||

HD and UHD movie views of the plasma flowing along magnetic fields lines visible at 171Å. || May2012_Reconn_171A_stand.HD1080i.00951_print.jpg (1024x576) [52.0 KB] || May2012_Reconn_171A_stand.HD1080i.00951_searchweb.png (320x180) [43.5 KB] || May2012_Reconn_171A_stand.HD1080i.00951_thm.png (80x40) [4.2 KB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/AIA171A/ (1920x1080) [128.0 KB] || May2012_Reconn_171A.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [21.9 MB] || May2012_Reconn_171A.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [7.0 MB] || frames/3840x2160_16x9_30p/AIA171A/ (3840x2160) [128.0 KB] || May2012_Reconn_171A_2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [107.3 MB] ||

This movie is generated from imagery collected by the NSO GONG network of solar observatories. It is not time-synchronized to the related observations by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). || BBSO_Halpha_2011JuneUh_stand.HD1080i.00187_print.jpg (1024x576) [25.1 KB] || BBSO_Halpha_2011JuneUh_stand.HD1080i.00187_searchweb.png (320x180) [20.9 KB] || BBSO_Halpha_2011JuneUh_stand.HD1080i.00187_thm.png (80x40) [2.3 KB] || 1920x1080_16x9_30p (1920x1080) [32.0 KB] || BBSO_Halpha_2011JuneUh_HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [2.8 MB] || BBSO_Halpha_2011JuneUh_HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [1.2 MB] || 3840x2160_16x9_30p (3840x2160) [32.0 KB] || BBSO_Halpha_2011JuneUh_2160p30.mp4 (3840x2160) [11.4 MB] ||

40 hours of AIA 131 angstrom imager at 12 second cadence viewing the time around the X8.2 solar flare. || Sept2017_X8Flare_131A_stand.UHD3840.07800_print.jpg (1024x576) [61.1 KB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/AIA131A/ (1920x1080) [1.0 MB] || Sept2017_X8Flare_131A.HD1080i_p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [843.8 MB] || Sept2017_X8Flare_131A.HD1080i_p30.webm (1920x1080) [47.6 MB] || frames/3840x2160_16x9_30p/AIA131A/ (3840x2160) [1.0 MB] ||

4k frames and ProRes video from SDO quicklook products. This footage is in 131 angstrom extreme ultraviolet light at approximately 30 second imaging cadence. It covers the time period of 14:59 to 17:00UTC 9/10/2017. || SDO_20170910_131_AR12673X8.00680_print.jpg (1024x1024) [220.6 KB] || SDO_20170910_131_AR12673X8.00680_searchweb.png (320x180) [55.4 KB] || SDO_20170910_131_AR12673X8.00680_thm.png (80x40) [4.7 KB] || SDO_20170910_131_AR12673X8_4k.mov (4096x4096) [958.7 MB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/131X8/ (4096x4096) [16.0 KB] || SDO_20170910_131_AR12673X8_4k.webm (4096x4096) [37.1 MB] || SDO_20170910_131_AR12673X8.00680.tif (4096x4096) [12.7 MB] ||

4K x 4K imagery from the SDO/HMI instrument. || SolarCycleHMI.02000_print.jpg (1024x1024) [154.4 KB] || SolarCycleHMI.02000_searchweb.png (320x180) [50.4 KB] || SolarCycleHMI.02000_thm.png (80x40) [3.7 KB] || SolarCycleHMI_1024p30.mp4 (1024x1024) [333.3 MB] || SolarCycleHMI_1024p30.webm (1024x1024) [19.2 MB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/Intensity-Frames/ (4096x4096) [512.0 KB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/Intensity-Time/ (4096x4096) [512.0 KB] ||

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] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/AIA171/ (1920x1080) [256.0 KB] || 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] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/171A-Frames/ (4096x4096) [256.0 KB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/171A-Time/ (4096x4096) [256.0 KB] ||

Composited full-disk imagery sampled at 12 second intervals. || AIA304MercuryComposite.01500_print.jpg (1024x1024) [195.3 KB] || AIA304MercuryComposite.01500_searchweb.png (320x180) [69.7 KB] || AIA304MercuryComposite.01500_thm.png (80x40) [4.7 KB] || AIA304MercuryComposite_2048p30.mp4 (2048x2048) [597.8 MB] || AIA304MercuryComposite_2048p30.webm (720x720) [9.5 MB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/304A-Frames/ (4096x4096) [256.0 KB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/304A-Time/ (4096x4096) [256.0 KB] ||

Composited full-disk imagery sampled at 12 second intervals. || AIA171MercuryComposite.01500_print.jpg (1024x1024) [187.2 KB] || AIA171MercuryComposite.01500_searchweb.png (320x180) [82.8 KB] || AIA171MercuryComposite.01500_thm.png (80x40) [6.3 KB] || AIA171MercuryComposite_2048p30.mp4 (2048x2048) [297.0 MB] || aia171mercurycomposite_2048p30.webm (720x720) [6.6 MB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/171A-Frames/ (4096x4096) [256.0 KB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/171A-Time/ (4096x4096) [256.0 KB] ||

Full-Disk imagery sampled at 3 second cadence. || HMIMercuryComposite_stand.4Kx4K.04000_print.jpg (1024x1024) [141.4 KB] || HMIMercuryComposite_stand.4Kx4K.04000_searchweb.png (320x180) [50.3 KB] || HMIMercuryComposite_stand.4Kx4K.04000_thm.png (80x40) [3.9 KB] || HMIMercuryComposite_stand.2Kx2Kp30.mp4 (2048x2048) [637.1 MB] || HMIMercuryComposite_stand.2Kx2Kp30.webm (2048x2048) [30.4 MB] || frames/4096x4096_1x1_30p/ (4096x4096) [512.0 KB] ||

This ultra-high definition (3840x2160) video shows the sun in the 171 angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. It covers a time period of January 2, 2015 to January 28, 2016 at a cadence of one frame every hour, or 24 frames per day. This timelapse is repeated with narration by solar scientist Nicholeen Viall and contains close-ups and annotations. 171 angstrom light highlights material around 600,000 Kelvin and shows features in the upper transition region and quiet corona of the sun. The video is available to download here at 59.94 frames per second, double the rate YouTube currently allows for UHD content. The music is titled "Tides" and is from Killer Tracks.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available. || SDO_Year6_HCblend_HD.png (1920x1080) [5.3 MB] || SDO_Year6_HCblend_HD.jpg (1920x1080) [545.9 KB] || SDO_Year6_HCblend_HD_print.jpg (1024x576) [179.5 KB] || SDO_Year6_HCblend_UHD.png (3840x2160) [19.7 MB] || SDO_Year6_HCblend_UHD.jpg (3840x2160) [1.2 MB] || SDO_Year6_HCblend_HD_searchweb.png (320x180) [59.6 KB] || SDO_Year6_HCblend_HD_thm.png (80x40) [4.8 KB] || 12144_SDO_Year_6_H264_Good_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [1.4 GB] || 12144_SDO_Year_6_appletv.m4v (1280x720) [241.9 MB] || 12144_SDO_Year_6_appletv.webm (1280x720) [50.5 MB] || 12144_SDO_Year_6_appletv_appletv_subtitles.m4v (1280x720) [242.1 MB] || 12144_SDO_Year_6_ProRes_3840x2160_5994.mov (3840x2160) [50.3 GB] || 12144_SDO_Year_6_H264_Good_3840x2160_5994.mov (3840x2160) [10.2 GB] || 12144_SDO_Year_6_H264_Good_3840x2160_2997.mov (3840x2160) [9.1 GB] || SDO_Year_6_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [6.3 KB] || SDO_Year_6_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [6.3 KB] ||

A year of SDO solar observations in HD1080. || SDOYear6hourly_171A_stand.HD1080i.02000_print.jpg (1024x576) [64.8 KB] || SDOYear6hourly_171A.HD1080.mov (1920x1080) [1.1 GB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/ (1920x1080) [1.0 MB] || SDOYear6hourly_171A_1080p30.mp4 (1920x1080) [424.4 MB] || SDOYear6hourly_171A.HD1080.webm (1920x1080) [37.4 MB] ||

Video of May 5, 2015 X2.7 flare.Credit: NASA/GSFC/SDO || May_5_2015_Flare_Still_304-171.png (1920x1080) [8.1 MB] || May_5_2015_Flare_Still_304-171.jpg (1920x1080) [415.9 KB] || May_5_2015_Flare_Still_304-171_print.jpg (1024x576) [145.7 KB] || May_5_2015_Flare_Still_304-171_web.png (320x180) [83.3 KB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_ProRes_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [674.9 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_H264_Best_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [682.7 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_H264_Good_1920x1080_2997.mov (1920x1080) [219.1 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_MPEG4_1920X1080_2997.mp4 (1920x1080) [42.2 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_H264_Good_1920x1080_2997.webm (1920x1080) [4.8 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_1280x720.wmv (1280x720) [23.1 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_appletv.m4v (960x540) [19.0 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_appletv_subtitles.m4v (960x540) [19.0 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_ipod_lg.m4v (640x360) [7.1 MB] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_SRT_Captions.en_US.srt [230 bytes] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_SRT_Captions.en_US.vtt [243 bytes] || 11868_May_5_X_Flare_ipod_sm.mp4 (320x240) [3.6 MB] ||

HD1080 movie of the Sun in the AIA 304 angstrom filter. Note the coronal loop structures on the lower right limb. || June2015LimbLoops_304A_stand.HD1080i.00256_print.jpg (1024x576) [68.0 KB] || June2015LimbLoops_304A_1080p.webm (1920x1080) [5.1 MB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/June2015LimbLoops_304AHD/ (1920x1080) [128.0 KB] || June2015LimbLoops_304A_1080p.mp4 (1920x1080) [34.7 MB] || June2015LimbLoops_304A.HD1080.mov (1920x1080) [108.5 MB] ||

Movie of plasma eruption (upper left limb). || Apr2015LimbErupt_304A_stand.HD1080i.00945_print.jpg (1024x576) [73.9 KB] || Apr2015LimbErupt_304A_stand.HD1080i.00945_searchweb.png (320x180) [41.0 KB] || Apr2015LimbErupt_304A_stand.HD1080i.00945_thm.png (80x40) [3.5 KB] || Apr2015LimbErupt_304A_stand_1080p.webm (1920x1080) [6.4 MB] || frames/1920x1080_16x9_30p/ (1920x1080) [128.0 KB] || Apr2015LimbErupt_304A_stand_1080p.mp4 (1920x1080) [43.2 MB] ||

A set of multi-wavelength views of the Sun from SDO provided source and context imagery for the Van Gogh Sun video. This video illustrates how imagery is converted into physical parameters teaching us more about the physical processes taking place in the solar atmosphere. ||

Just as we do on Earth, the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite periodically crosses the Moon's shadow and experiences a solar eclipse. During the eclipse witnessed by SDO on October 7, 2010, the southern hemisphere of the Moon was silhouetted against the solar disk, revealing some especially prominent mountain peaks near the Moon's south pole. By using elevation data from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to visualize the Moon from SDO's point of view, it's possible to identify these peaks. Although all of these are well-known features, all but one of them have no official names. The following list corresponds to the labels in the animation, from left to right.In his 1954 sketch of the lunar south pole, astronomer Ewen Whitaker labeled this feature "M3." It's a mountain about halfway between the craters Cabeus and Drygalski, at 83.2°S 68°W.Whitaker's "M1," a mountain on the northern rim of Cabeus, 83.4°S 33°W.A mountain on the southern rim of Malapert crater, about halfway between the centers of Malapert and Haworth. Whitaker labels this Malapert Alpha. It's also known as Mons Malapert or Malapert Peak. 85.8°S 0°E.Labeled Leibnitz Beta by Whitaker and now officially named Mons Mouton, this is part of the highlands adjacent to the northern rim of Nobile crater. 84°S 37°E. Part of the Leibnitz mountain range first identified by Johann Schröter in the late 1700s, unrelated to Leibnitz Crater on the lunar far side.A mountain near Amundsen crater, on the western (Earthward) rim of Hédervári crater, 82.2°S 75°E. Whitaker tentatively labels this Leibnitz Epsilon in his sketch.The Moon visualization uses the latest albedo and elevation maps from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). ||