What does the Sun look like?
Well, it depends on how you view it!
Since its launch in February 2010,
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, has produced
some of the most iconic images of our star — including this one.
In this visualization,
each “slice” represents a different wavelength
of ultraviolet light that SDO uses to view the Sun.
Each wavelength highlights a specific temperature range
that helps scientists study different solar activity.
This wavelength reveals features at around 1.8 million
degrees Fahrenheit, like solar flares,
while this one emphasizes features
at 1 million degrees Fahrenheit, like coronal loops.
Scientists use these different SDO views to paint a full picture of our constantly
changing star and its effects on Earth and technology in space.