The Sun now

Image from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI)

The Sun's visible surface today.
LOOK for small dark patches, the sunspots. They often come in pairs or groups and they are scenes of intense magnetic fields. You can sometimes relate the sunspots to very hot and stormy regions in the atmosphere above, seen in the ultraviolet (EIT) images. Each sunspot gradually moves across the visible surface as the Sun rotates. From far left to far right takes it two weeks.
 

EIT 171 Å	EIT 195 Å	EIT 284 Å
EIT 304 Å	LASCO C2	LASCO C3

 
 
 
Last update: 9 April 2002

More about...
•	SOHO overview (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120373_index_0_m.html)
Related articles
•	Safety tips for observing the Sun (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMB6P7O0MD_index_0.html)
•	How the Sun affects us on Earth (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEML7BS1VED_foryou_0.html)
•	What is a SOHO/EIT CCD ‘bakeout’? (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMN6TVLWFE_index_0.html)
In depth
•	ESA's SOHO science website (http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120373_index_0_m.html)
Related links
•	SOHO homepage (http://sohowww.estec.esa.nl/)
•	Hot shots from SOHO (http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/)
•	Best of SOHO images (http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/gallery/top10/)
•	SOHO and space weather (http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/spaceweather)
•	What is a 'telemetry keyhole'? (http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/hotshots/2004_01_04/)