|
Credit & Copyright: Space Environment Center,
NOAA
Explanation:
Our Sun shows a different face every day. The above picture was taken on
May 15, but a similar picture of the
Sun actually taken today can be found
here.
The above picture was taken in red light and so is shown in red. The
bright spots to the right of center are active regions known as
plages.
Currently, the
Sun is showing very few active regions or sunspots, and is considered to be in a solar minimum. Solar
activity will pick up over
the next six years until a "solar maximum" is reached. The Sun goes
through this cycle of maxima and minima every 11 years.
Sol,
our Sun, is
hundreds of times more massive than all the
planets in the Solar System
combined. However, the
Sun itself contains only a small amount of the total
angular
momentum of the Solar System.
|
January February March April May June July August September October November December |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Sun
Publications with words: Sun
See also:
- APOD: 2024 September 2 Á A Triangular Prominence Hovers Over the Sun
- APOD: 2024 August 18 Á A Solar Prominence Eruption from SDO
- APOD: 2024 August 4 Á Gaia: Here Comes the Sun
- APOD: 2024 July 28 Á Sun Dance
- Prominences and Filaments on the Active Sun
- APOD: 2024 May 28 Á Solar X Flare as Famous Active Region Returns
- APOD: 2024 May 26 Á A Solar Filament Erupts