This was an unusual opportunity to study what is known as the Rayleigh-Taylor phenomenon on a large scale.Īlso in 2014, scientists observed magnetic field lines looping and causing an eruption in the sun's atmosphere. Scientists in 2014 published results saying they observed the plasma splitting into 'fingers' of matter in a similar way that has been observed in the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant. For example, in June 2011 there was a coronal mass ejection that ejected an immense amount of plasma, or superheated gas. SDO's long-term observations of the sun also show scientists when something different is happening. Observing events such as this gives scientists more insight into the underlying mechanisms of the sun's plasma production. More of these plasma tornadoes have been captured by SDO, such as one that occurred in late 2015. It also moved a lot faster scientists estimated the sun's tornado whirled at up to 186,000 mph (300,000 km/h), while an Earth storm typically goes no faster than about 300 mph (483 km/h). The solar tornado was shaped by the sun's magnetic field tornadoes on Earth, by contrast, occur due to wind activity. At the time, NASA said this was likely the first time a video had been caught of the activity. In 2016, SDO captured a solar 'tornado' that was five times wider than Earth, moving across the sun's surface - in both images and video. In 2016, SDO also captured Mercury going across the face of the sun. The event is predictable but extremely rare the last transit before was in 2004, but the next one won't occur until 2117. A notable example was Venus, which transited across the sun (from Earth's perspective) June 5-6, 2012. With SDO's eye on the sun, anything that passes in front of it could also be captured by camera. The flare, though, was considered medium-sized, meaning that more spectacular eruptions could come before the cameras. A May solar flare was captured in high resolution, with pictures in multiple wavelengths showing the extent of the prominence eruption.

The mission has definitely exceeded my expectations so far - and my expectations were high to begin with.' Solar maximum, Venus and 'tornadoes'Īs the sun moved toward solar maximum (when solar activity is highest) in 2013, SDO's capabilities really began to shine for astronomers.

'The science is really ramping up and it's very exciting to find out all the capabilities of the instruments,' Phil Chamberlin, SDO deputy project scientist at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., told in 2011. Normally that portion of the sun is best visible during eclipses, but with SDO, scientists were able to watch what the corona was doing from its tip to the sun's surface. 'SDO's inclined geosynchronous orbit was chosen to allow continuous observations of the sun and enable its exceptionally high data rate through the use of a single dedicated ground station,' according to the Solar Dynamics Observatory website.Ĭontrollers were astounded at what SDO produced in its first year of observations, particularly its views of the sun's corona. From there, the satellite was placed in an inclined geosynchronous orbit that traces a figure-eight path every day above the Earth as it watches the sun. 11, 2010, aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. SDO cost $850 million to construct and launch. The spacecraft originally had a five-year life span, but has lasted beyond an 11-year solar cycle, and was still performing well as of mid-2018. The other instruments are the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, which can track electric currents and magnetic activity in the corona, and the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment, which monitors ultraviolet solar emissions.

Staring at the sun photography