Smiley Face on the Sun? New Video Shows All
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| This still from a NASA video shows an apparent smiley face on the sun as seen by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The solar happy face is seen in different wavelengths in a video posted on July 25, 2011. CREDIT: NASA/SDO/GSFC |
Our sun is apparently a happy star according to the latest video from a NASA observatory. The video shows a pattern of sunspots that, when viewed from afar, forms a vast happy face smiling across face of the sun.
Sunspots are darker, cooler patches on the sun caused when intense magnetic activity blocks heat convection. These spots are normal, but they don’t usually align to give the sun’s face such character.
The smile on the sun is visible through 11 photographs taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which images the sun from Earth orbit. Each picture was taken at the same time, but through a different filter that separated out a narrow wavelength band of light. The images range from lowest temperature to highest.
for more, including the video, go to: http://www.space.com/12502-sun-smiley-face-video-sunspots.html