In this section we have aggregated the latest, most current solar images provided by the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Solar & Heliospheric Observatory satellites.
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA satellite launched on 11 February 2010 and designed to provide means of monitoring and studying solar atmosphere simultaneously, in many wavelengths. The primary data products of the mission are measurements of the interior of the Sun, the Sun's magnetic field, the hot plasma of the solar corona, and the irradiance that creates the ionospheres of the planets. SDO is studying the solar activity, how it is created and how that activity affects the Space Weather. SDO spacecraft is positioned on an inclined geosynchronous orbit around Earth and flying three instruments on board:
Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA)
EUV Variability Experiment (EVE)
Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI)
Each of these instruments perform several measurements that characterize how and why the Sun varies. These three instruments will observe the Sun simultaneously, performing the entire range of measurements necessary to understand the variations on the Sun.
The above SDO images ar coming from AIA and HMI instruments and covering several Extreme Ultraviolet wavelengths, measured in Angstroms, visible light stretches from 3900A (violet light) to 7700A (red light).
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), is a project of international cooperation between European Space Agency and NASA to study the Sun, from its deep core to the outer corona and the solar wind. The scientific payload of SOHO comprises 12 instruments. In this section, we have included two imaging streams from the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronograph (LASCO) instrument, which currently are the primary means used for the solar corona heating and transient events, including Coronal Mass Ejection characterization.
LASCO observes the outer solar atmosphere from near the solar limb to a distance of 21 million kilometres. LASCO blocks direct light from the surface of the Sun with an occulter, creating an artificial eclipse.
LASCO C2 - a white light coronagraph imaging from 1.5 to 6 solar radii (orange), shutter speed 26 seconds
LASCO C3 - a white light coronagraph imaging from 3.7 to 30 solar radii (blue), shutter speed 19 seconds
The data on this page is courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE, and HMI science teams
