GRAY – SDO HMI Continuum

This image shows the Sun’s surface in visible light. Look for darker sunspots—cooler regions that can grow larger than Earth.

Sunspots often appear in groups and can last for days or weeks. They mark areas of strong magnetic activity.

RED – SDO AIA 304 Å

This ultraviolet view reveals the Sun’s lower atmosphere. Filaments and prominences appear as long ribbons of glowing gas shaped by magnetic forces.

Prominences rise above the Sun’s edge, while filaments stretch across the surface. They are cooler, dense structures suspended by magnetic fields.

GOLDEN – SDO AIA 171 Å

This wavelength highlights bright magnetic loops in the Sun’s atmosphere. These glowing arcs trace the paths of charged particles.

Watch how the loops shift and reorganize—these motions reflect changes in the Sun’s magnetic field.

VIOLET – SDO AIA 211 Å

This ultraviolet view shows the hot corona, the Sun’s outer atmosphere. Bright regions mark active magnetic areas, while dark patches reveal cooler coronal holes.

Coronal holes are sources of fast solar wind streams that flow outward into space.

TEAL – SDO AIA 131 Å

This wavelength captures very hot solar plasma. Bright flashes may indicate solar flares—sudden bursts of energy from active regions.

Flare activity varies with the solar cycle: sometimes rare, sometimes frequent.

GREEN – SDO AIA 94 Å

This view highlights the hottest parts of the Sun’s atmosphere. Sudden brightening often signals a solar flare in progress.

This channel is especially sensitive to flare temperatures of several million degrees.

Solar Highlights

A curated collection of dramatic solar events captured by spacecraft—flares, eruptions, and other powerful changes in the Sun’s atmosphere.

These moments help scientists understand how the Sun stores and releases energy, shaping space weather throughout the solar system.