Photo Agency - Astronomy - Space - Nature

> The Sun seen by Soho across ten years

The Sun seen by Soho across ten years

author: Nasa/ESA/Soho/Eit/Novapix

reference: a-sol02-01102

Image Size 300 DPI: 20 * 5 cm

Comparison of three EIT 304 Angstrom images (in extreme ultraviolet light) across ten years. The left-hand image is one of the earliest EIT images from SOHO, taken just months after its launch in late 1995 when the Sun was near its minimum level of activity. Overall, it is strikingly similar in the general level of solar activity observed (usually seen as whiter areas in these kinds of images) to the right-hand image taken just this week. Both are almost devoid of intense regions of magnetic activity. At solar minimum, they also give a much clearer view of the polar coronal holes, the darker regions at the bottom and, to a lesser extent, the top of the Sun. The central image from this same week in 2001 shows a very different Sun: one that is brighter, features several large regions of activity, and with a large prominence extending out on its right. This is the Sun near its period of maximum of activity in its 11-year cycle.

Keywords for this photo:

1996 - 2001 - 2006 - ASTRONOMY - GLOBAL VIEW - PROMINENCE - SOHO - SOLAR CYCLE - SOLAR FLARE - STAR - SUN - ULTRAVIOLET - UV -