Featured Foursome

STEREO spacecraft take images in four wavelengths of UV light every few minutes and these can be made into smooth running movies (Aug. 14-17, 2009). Each wavelength reveals different features of the Sun. Here we have taken all four and run them together to highlight this capability. Starting clockwise with the orange image (upper left) through blue, green and yellow, the images observe the Sun from lower in the solar atmosphere to higher and from lower temperatures to higher. The Sun remains at a very quiet level of activity. Note the quite distinct, darker, polar coronal holes at the top and bottom of the Sun, typical for this phase of the solar cycle. We are excited that the next major solar mission, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) will take images in 10 wavelengths of light every few seconds.

• quad_big.mov   
• quad_lo.mov   
• quad_512.mpg   
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