This is NASA's
Coronal Diagnostic Experiment,
or CODEX —
a solar coronagraph on
the exterior of the
International Space Station.
Scientists use coronagraphs to
block out bright light
from the main body of the Sun
to see its corona,
or outer atmosphere.
This is one of the first images
scientists received from CODEX.
Using a cone-shaped disk
about the size of a tennis ball,
held by three pylons,
CODEX blocks the Sun in the
center of the image to reveal
the solar wind —
a stream of charged particles
that constantly flow outward
from the Sun.
This bright white streak,
known as a coronal streamer,
is a large ray-like structure
formed by increased density
linked to the Sun's magnetic fie
CODEX measures the temperature
and speed of these features
to gain insight
into the solar wind.
This helps scientists better
understand solar storms that may
affect our communication systems
GPS, and power grids
here on Earth.