If you’re gonna celebrate, do it in style. Well, the Sun did to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, spewing out this gorgeous solar flare that’s captured here in a variety of different wavelengths.
The images were obtained by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on May 5th at 6:11 p.m. EDT. Each one reveals a different wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light, which in turn reveals different temperatures. For those of you who care about such things, the image shows wavelengths of, from left to right,: visible light, 171 angstroms, 304 angstroms, 193 angstroms and 131 angstroms. [NASA]
Image Credit: NASA/SDO/Wiessinger
DISCUSSION
So how does one measure time on the sun anyway?