NASA’s newest solar observatory, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), is still only in the commissioning phase, calibrating and testing, but is already creating breathtaking pictures of the sun that have never been seen before.
One particularly interesting observation, Fisher said, shows the evolution of an active region of the sun, also known as a sunspot. The dark spots on the sun's surface are connected to intense magnetic activity. SDO caught this sunspot in decline that didn't look quite how scientists expected it to.
Science is already underway, baffling researchers with the amazing findings that defy expectation and logic. Surely, more beautiful images will be coming soon.
via SPACE.com — ‘Spectacular’ First Images from New Solar Observatory Released.
