NASA | SDO's Ultra-high Definition View of 2012 Venus Transit

The SDO is a NASA spacecraft launched on February 11, 2010, with the purpose of studying the sun's atmosphere, magnetic field, and its effects on Earth's atmospheric chemistry and climate. The spacecraft is equipped with advanced imaging technology that provides images at a resolution 8 times better than high-definition television. It collects over a terabyte of data each day.

One notable event that the SDO captured was the transit of Venus across the face of the sun, which occurred on June 5, 2012. This event is rare and occurs in pairs eight years apart, separated by 105 or 121 years. The previous transit was in 2004, and the next one will not happen until 2117.

The images and videos captured by the SDO are constructed using various wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light and a portion of the visible spectrum. Different wavelengths highlight different aspects of the sun's atmosphere. The various colors represent different wavelengths: the red-colored sun represents the 304 angstrom ultraviolet, the golden-colored sun represents 171 angstrom, the magenta sun represents 1700 angstrom, and the orange sun represents filtered visible light. The 304 and 171 angstrom images reveal the sun's atmosphere, which is not visible in the visible part of the spectrum.

The information you've provided is fascinating and highlights the scientific importance of the Solar Dynamics Observatory in studying the sun's behavior and its impact on our planet.