End of 2008 3D

Here we offer a 3D sun image from STEREO (Ahead) as a kind of farewell to a very inactive solar year for 2008. The use of 3D is appropriate since STEREO is the first 3D solar mission ever. The north and south polar coronal holes, which appear much darker than the rest of the image, are the most noticeable features of a quiet sun with no active regions at the moment. This image (Dec. 19, 2008) was generated by digitally combining two extreme UV images taken 12 hours apart by the same spacecraft, which were then processed to create the depth and roundedness of 3D. (This is not true 3D - that could only be produced when the two spacecraft were much closer together than they are now.)

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