133 Days in Solar Inferno A Journey to the Heart of Our Star

This video documents the captivating journey through the realm of solar activity from August 12 to December 22, 2022. Captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) orbiting in space around our planet, it has persistently imaged the Sun in astonishing 4K x 4K resolution for almost 13 years. This extensive data has unveiled numerous revelations about the operations of our nearest star and its impact on the solar system.

Equipped with a trio of instruments, SDO adeptly seizes an image of the Sun every 0.75 seconds. Among these instruments, the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) stands out, as it snaps pictures every 12 seconds, spanning 10 different wavelengths of light. In this 133-day time-lapse sequence, we are treated to images captured at an ultra-specific wavelength of 17.1 nanometers, which delves into the Sun's outermost atmospheric layer known as the corona.

This mesmerizing compilation stitches together images separated by a mere 108 seconds, effectively condensing 133 days, equivalent to around four months, of intensive solar observations into a concise 59-minute presentation. As you watch, you'll witness brilliant active zones traversing the Sun's surface, courtesy of its gradual rotation, which completes approximately once every 27 days.

The striking loops extending above these bright areas are magnetic fields, harnessing scorching, luminous plasma. These very regions are the origin of solar flares, manifesting as radiant bursts when magnetic fields collide and merge, a phenomenon referred to as magnetic reconnection.

While SDO vigilantly maintains its unbroken focus on the Sun, there are instances it momentarily loses sight. Some of the darker interludes in the video occur due to Earth or the Moon passing between the spacecraft and the Sun, causing eclipses. Others result from periods of instrument calibration or data irregularities.

SDO dutifully beams down an astounding 1.4 terabytes of data daily. Instances where the Sun appears off-center correspond to periods when SDO was fine-tuning its instruments. In the years ahead, SDO, along with other missions, will persist in observing our Sun, providing further insights into our cosmic context and invaluable information to safeguard astronauts and space assets.