Solar Dynamics Observatory
NASA's eye on the Sun, taking a full picture of it every few seconds in many colors of light.
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The corona at 171 Å
The Sun's corona and the magnetic loops above active regions, in extreme ultraviolet light.
Image: NASA/SDO and the AIA, EVE and HMI science teams
SDO watches the Sun around the clock from an orbit high above Earth. Its ultraviolet images show the hot corona with the loops and flares of the Sun's magnetic field; another camera shows the visible surface with its sunspots.
Key facts
- Type
- Space observatory (Sun)
- Orbit
- Geosynchronous, about 36,000 km above Earth
- Launched
- 11 February 2010
- Operator
- NASA