The Sun
Give me the splendid silent sun with all his beams full-dazzling.
Walt Whitman
Walt Whitman
The Sun's energy is the principal driver of all of Earth's atmospheric events, from weather patterns in the lower layers, through auroras in the upper layers, to the space weather environment of energetic particles at the altitudes of orbiting satellites. The energy originates from the nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium in the Sun's core (nucleosynthesis). Over millions of years, the energy is transported outward to the visible surface, where it is radiated into space.
The Sun contains the vast majority of all matter within our solar system. It is mostly hydrogen, with some helium and smaller amounts of other elements.
The visible surface of the Sun is called the photosphere. The Sun's atmosphere has two transparent layers. The chromosphere is just above the photosphere. The corona is the outer part of the Sun's atmosphere. In the outer region of the corona, particles travel away from the Sun and stretch far out into space. The chromosphere and corona can only be seen during solar eclipses, or with instruments that simulate a solar eclipse.
The SOHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) spacecraft is currently in position at the L1 point. Once of its instruments, LASCO, is a visible-light coronagraph, a device that blocks the bright light from the Sun's surface, allowing the details in the corona to be clearly seen.
In one of LASCO's images of activity on the Sun, shown here, blobs of plasma (the solar wind stream) can be seen to be emitted from the Sun. Image courtesy of SOHO/LASCO consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA.
To learn a lot more about the Sun, check out our question and answer page on the Sun in our "Ask Us" feature.
Even more about the Sun:
Myths about the Sun -- Windows to the Universe
Sun -- Windows to the Universe
The Sun as Art -- SOHO
Sun -- Windows to the Universe
The Sun as Art -- SOHO
The Heliosphere
Solar Wind
The Sun's Magnetic Field
Solar Activity
The Earth's Magnetosphere
Solar Energetic Particles (Solar Cosmic Rays)
The Sun in the News:
April 6, 2012: Mysteries
of the sun...explained in video -- NASA
March 28, 2012: Solar eclipses can (slightly) change weather on Earth -- National Geographic
March 27, 2012: Mercury helps scientists measure the size of the sun -- Astrobiology
March 21, 2012: How big is the sun, really? -- Sky & Telescope
March 16, 2012: Bright planets at McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope -- APOD
March 8, 2012: NASA invites students to study the sun during Solar Week - March 19-23, 2012 -- NASA
February 22, 2012: Partial solar eclipse from space -- NASA
February 9, 2012: Neutrinos point to rare stellar fusion -- Physics World
February 7, 2012: The belt of Venus over Mercedes, Argentina -- APOD
February 6, 2012: The sun as art -- NASA
January 31, 2012: The Helix Nebula from the VISTA telescope -- APOD
January 27, 2012: Solar eclipse over the USA -- Science@NASA
January 21, 2012: Days in the sun -- APOD
January 14, 2012: NGC 6369: The Little Ghost Nebula -- APOD
December 27, 2011: M27: The Dumbbell Nebula -- APOD
December 22, 2011: Throught a sun tunnel -- APOD
December 17, 2011: Comet Lovejoy: Sungrazing survivor -- APOD
December 16, 2011: Comet Lovejoy plunges into the sun and survives -- NASA
December 2, 2011: Solar eclipse over Antarctica -- APOD
November 25, 2011: A glimpse of CLIMSO -- APOD
November 15, 2011: Orange sun scintillating -- APOD
November 12, 2011: Sunspot castle -- APOD
November 8, 2011: Jumping sundogs over thunderclouds -- APOD
November 8, 2011: For Copernicus, a 'perfect heaven' put sun at center -- NPR
November 1, 2011: Hinode's first light...and five more years -- NASA
October 16, 2011: A picturesque Venus transit -- APOD
October 4, 2011: Nikolaos Paschalidis: Miniaturized details and the big picture -- NASA
October 1, 2011: UMD's 'WaterShed' wins solar decathlon 2011 -- University of Maryland
September 30, 2011: The seven suns of Rome -- Nature
September 5, 2011: HH47: A young star jet expands -- APOD
August 18, 2011: A sun pillar over Ontario -- APOD
July 22, 2011: Sun's death rattle may hurl comets out of solar system -- New Scientist
June 16, 2011: Hadrian's buildings catch the sun -- Nature
June 10, 2011: STEREO sees complete far side -- NASA
June 7, 2011: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory catches "surfer" waves on the sun -- NASA
June 3, 2011: Midnight's solar eclipse -- APOD
June 2, 2011: Solar eclipse pictures -- National Geographic
May 31, 2011: A rare eclipse of the midnight sun -- Science@NASA
April 24, 2011: The Cat's Eye nebula from Hubble -- APOD
April 13, 2011: Little Ice Age resulted from more than just solar calm -- AGU
April 4, 2011: Looking into the sun's future -- Astrobiology
March 22, 2011: Goddard annual Sun-Earth Day has a tweeting twist -- NASA
March 19, 2011: Sun-Earth Day -- NASA
February 22, 2011: Star size comparisons -- APOD
February 18, 2011: Feeling the heat -- Scientific American
February 13, 2011: Measuring the sun's role on climate -- Astrobiology
February 11, 2011: SDO sundog mystery -- NASA
February 1, 2011: Watch out for solar sail flares -- Science@NASA
January 27, 2011: NanoSail-D flies free -- Astrobiology
January 21, 2011: Sun provides Earth with less energy than we thought -- Physics World
January 15, 2011: A total eclipse at the end of the world -- APOD
January 14, 2011: Improved measurements of sun to advance understanding of climate change -- AGU
January 10, 2011: A sun halo beyond Stockholm -- APOD
January 9, 2011: The Antikythera mechanism -- APOD
January 7, 2011: Sunset, moonset -- APOD
January 6, 2011: Sunrise, moonrise -- APOD
January 6, 2011: Hotspots in fountains on the sun's surface may help explain coronal heating mystery -- NASA
January 5, 2011: Eclipsing the sun -- APOD
January 5, 2011: Images from partial solar eclipse 01.04.11 -- NASA GSFC Flickr
January 4, 2011: A green flash from the sun -- APOD
January 4, 2011: Smithsonian scientists "fill the gap," view sun's innermost corona -- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
January 2, 2011: Looking back at an eclipsed Earth -- APOD
December 31, 2010: Analemma 2010 -- APOD
December 28, 2010: Seeing through the layers of the sun -- NASA GSFC Flickr
December 21, 2010: Tyrrhenian Sea and solstice sky -- APOD
December 14, 2010: ESA makes the sun available to everyone -- ESA
December 4, 2010: Sunset at the Spiral Jetty -- APOD
November 28, 2010: Anticrepuscular rays over Colorado -- APOD
November 23, 2010: The sun steals comets from other stars -- Science@NASA
October 22, 2010: NASA simulates the sun's power on Earth to test hardware intended for space -- NASA
September 10, 2010: Searching the sun for dark matter -- Physics World
September 9, 2010: How can we use neutrinos to probe dark matter in the sun? -- Eurekalert
September 2, 2010: NASA selects science investigations for Solar Probe Plus -- NASA
August 4, 2010: Eclipse shadow cone over Patagonia -- APOD
July 30, 2010: Eclipse on the beach -- APOD
July 24, 2010: Diamond ring and shadow bands -- APOD
July 21, 2010: The crown of the sun -- APOD
July 15, 2010: Andes sunset eclipse -- APOD
July 14, 2010: Easter Island eclipse -- APOD
July 12, 2010: Japanese solar sail successfully rides sunlight -- Space
July 7, 2010: Earth at farthest distance from sun -- why the heat wave? -- National Geographic
July 1, 2010: 2010's total eclipse of the sun -- Astronomy
June 29, 2010: All the colors of the sun -- APOD
June 23, 2010: Sunset from the International Space Station -- APOD
June 21, 2010: Sunrise solstice at Stonehenge -- APOD
June 10, 2010: The sun as comet snatcher -- Nature
May 23, 2010: Station and Shuttle transit the Sun -- APOD
May 13, 2010: Sun's size is "rock steady" -- Sky & Telescope
April 28, 2010: Sunset on a golden sea -- APOD
April 16, 2010: Bright points on the quiet Sun -- APOD
March 29, 2010: After the next sunset, please turn right -- Max Planck Society
March 23, 2010: Reinvigorated Sun and prominence -- APOD
March 21, 2010: Equinox + 1 -- APOD
March 19, 2010: Vernal equinox 2010: Facts on the first day of spring -- National Geographic
March 16, 2010: Detailed view of a solar eclipse corona -- APOD
March 15, 2010: Frogs, foam and fuel: UC researchers convert solar energy to sugars -- University of Cincinnati
March 6, 2010: Pillar at sunset -- APOD
March 1, 2010: World's mightiest solar boat unveiled -- Scientific American
February 23, 2010: Exceptional rocket waves destroy sun dog -- APOD
February 18, 2010: Cool movie: SDO destroys a sundog -- Science@NASA
February 17, 2010: 3D Sun for the iPhone -- Science@NASA
February 8, 2010: A Sun halo over Cambodia -- APOD
January 26, 2010: Annular eclipse over Myanmar -- APOD
January 25, 2010: Sun's appetite for dark matter may affect Earth's orbit -- Physics World
January 23, 2010: Eclipses in the shade -- APOD
January 22, 2010: Millennium annular solar eclipse -- APOD
January 18, 2010: Eclipse over the Temple of Poseidon -- APOD
January 16, 2010: New year sungrazer -- APOD
January 15, 2010: Eclipse photos: "Ring of Fire" shines over Africa, Asia -- National Geographic
January 5, 2010: Eclipses yield first images of elusive iron line in solar corona -- NASA
December 23, 2009: December sunrise, Cape Sounion -- APOD
December 21, 2009: AcrimSat celebrates 10 years of measuring the Sun's energy -- NASA
December 20, 2009: Tutulemma: Solar eclipse analemma -- APOD
December 15, 2009: Close-up photos of dying star show our Sun's fate -- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
November 14, 2009: DIA sunrise -- APOD
November 11, 2009: Exoplanets clue to Sun's curious chemistry -- Eurekalert
November 10, 2009: Saturn after equinox -- APOD
November 4, 2009: Blue Sun bristling -- APOD
September 24, 2009: Equinox sunset -- APOD
September 22, 2009: Autumnal equinox 2009: Facts on the first day of fall -- National Geographic
September 14, 2009: Candy-colored solar panels don't need direct Sun -- National Geographic
September 2, 2009: Mount Wilson Observatory: View from the mountaintop -- Astronomy.com
August 27, 2009: Small fluctuations in solar activity, large influence on the climate -- Eurekalert
August 26, 2009: Ice Ages follow the Sun -- Astrobiology
August 20, 2009: Eclipse city -- APOD
August 17, 2009: GOES-O releases first solar image -- NASA
August 8, 2009: Diamonds in a cloudy sky -- APOD
August 6, 2009: Long debate ended over cause, demise of ice ages -- may also help predict future -- Eurekalert
August 4, 2009: A triple sunrise over Gdansk Bay -- APOD
July 30, 2009: 6 minutes 42 seconds -- APOD
July 27, 2009: Living in a dying solar system, Part 1 -- Astrobiology
July 26, 2009: The big corona -- APOD
July 24, 2009: Eclipse over Chongqing, China -- APOD
July 23, 2009: Eclipse shadows southeastern China -- NASA Earth Observatory
July 22, 2009: Solar eclipse video: Century's longest, caught on film -- National Geographic
July 20, 2009: Longest solar eclipse of the 21st century -- Science@NASA
July 20, 2009: NASA's 'Mr. Eclipse' retires but still chasing shadows -- NASA
July 18, 2009: Planets, Great Wall, and solar eclipse -- APOD
July 3, 2009: Perihelion and aphelion -- APOD
June 30, 2009: Ulysses: 12 extra months of valuable science -- ESA
June 30, 2009: Solar ghosts may haunt Earth's radioactive atoms -- New Scientist
June 26, 2009: Solstice to solstice solargraph -- APOD
June 21, 2009: Sunrise over the Parthenon -- APOD
June 18, 2009: The eclipse in history -- ESA
June 10, 2009: Caltech visiting associate champions the study of solar eclipses in the modern era -- Caltech
June 1, 2009: Why are we moving away from the Sun? -- Sky & Telescope
May 29, 2009: World's largest solar telescope now operational -- Astronomy.com
May 28, 2009: Einstein's general theory of relativity: Celebrating the 20th century's most important experiment -- Science Daily
May 18, 2009: The Sun is burning -- HEAPOW
April 17, 2009: Discovered after 40 years: Moon dust hazard influenced by Sun's elevation -- AGU
April 17, 2009: Medieval astronomy from Melk Abbey -- APOD
April 15, 2009: Major utility company makes agreement for space-based solar power -- Universe Today
March 23, 2009: SPICE will measure Sun's plasma properties -- Astronomy.com
March 23, 2009: New Sun-watching instrument to monitor sunlight fluctuations -- NASA
March 22, 2009: Sungrazer -- APOD
March 20, 2009: Sunspots at solar maximum and minimum -- NASA's Earth Observatory
March 20, 2009: Sunset at the Portara -- APOD
March 20, 2009: Researchers reveal why Sun's atmosphere is hotter than its surface -- CORDIS
March 20, 2009: Scientists find giant solar twists -- Astronomy.com
March 10, 2009: Join NASA in celebrating Sun-Earth Day 2009 -- NASA
February 25, 2009: Otherworldly solar eclipse -- Science@NASA
February 5, 2009: Natural solar collectors on butterfly wings inspire more powerful solar cells -- Science Daily
February 4, 2009: How will the Solar System end? -- New Scientist
February 4, 2009: Is the Roman Pantheon a colossal sundial? -- New Scientist
January 29, 2009: Eclipse shirt 2009 -- APOD
January 28, 2009: A partial eclipse over Manila Bay -- APOD
January 28, 2009: How will the Solar System end? -- New Scientist
January 25, 2009: Annular eclipse: The ring of fire -- APOD
January 15, 2009: Suspension bridge solargraph -- APOD
January 15, 2009: Double sun dog dazzles icy Omaha -- National Geographic
December 21, 2008: Analemma over the Porch of Maidens -- APOD
December 20, 2008: Solstice at Newgrange -- APOD
December 15, 2008: A Sun pillar over North Carolina -- APOD
November 17, 2008: Sun shines on future Mars colonies -- New Scientist
October 24, 2008: Using sunlight more efficiently -- AIP
October 23, 2008: COROT directly sees 'sun-quakes' in other stars for the first time -- ESA
October 20, 2008: How does solar power work? -- Scientific American
October 2, 2008: NASA spacecraft finds the Sun is not a perfect sphere -- NASA
September 22, 2008: Equinox: The Sun from solstice to solstice -- APOD
September 20, 2008: A darkened sky -- APOD
September 17, 2008: Immigrant Sun -- Astronomy.com
September 9, 2008: Solar shift -- Astrobiology Magazine
September 8, 2008: The Sun will eventually engulf Earth -- maybe -- Scientific American
August 31, 2008: Eclipse over the Great Wall -- APOD
August 21, 2008: August moons -- APOD
August 19, 2008: Chemist travels world to study mysterious properties of neutrinos -- Brookhaven National Lab
August 18, 2008: Baily's beads near solar eclipse totality -- APOD
August 8, 2008: The crown of the sun -- APOD
August 7, 2008: At the sun's edge -- APOD
August 5, 2008: A total solar eclipse over China -- APOD
August 5, 2008: Eclipse darkens NW China, a week before Olympics -- Scientific American
August 2, 2008: Eclipse shirt -- APOD
August 1, 2008: Eclipse blankets Russia; thousands watch in awe -- Scientific American
July 31, 2008: A brief history of solar sails -- Science@NASA
July 31, 2008: Eclipse expert makes hot finds in sun's darkest hour -- National Geographic
July 31, 2008: Solar-cell material can soak up more sun -- New Scientist
July 30, 2008: Voyaging to the stars on a solar breeze -- Scientific American
July 29, 2008: Partial eclipse, total fun -- Science@NASA
July 22, 2008: Total solar eclipse on August 1: Where, how to see it -- National Geographic
July 10, 2008: Science: Simple, inexpensive solar energy from light-absorbing dyes -- AAAS
July 9, 2008: Study puts solar spin on asteroids, their moons, and Earth impacts -- University of Maryland
June 23, 2008: Ancient eclipse found in "The Odyssey", scientists say -- National Geographic
June 1, 2008: How to harvest solar power? Beam it down from space! -- CNN
May 31, 2008: A view to the sunset -- APOD
May 29, 2008: A fog bow over Ocean Beach -- APOD
May 29, 2008: Warm coronal loops offer clue to mysteriously hot solar atmosphere -- NASA GSFC
May 22, 2008: Sun's properties not 'fine-tuned' for life -- New Scientist
May 20, 2008: The enigmatic sun: A crucible for new physics -- CERN
May 16, 2008: Circles in the sky -- APOD
May 6, 2008: Chasing the green flash -- Astronomy.com
May 4, 2008: An Antarctic total solar eclipse -- APOD
April 18, 2008: Solar flares set the sun quaking -- ESA
April 4, 2008: Medical x-ray technique unveils the sun's corona -- Science Daily
April 3, 2008: 'No sun link' to climate change -- BBC News
March 22, 2008: Cat's Eye Hubble remix -- APOD
March 20, 2008: Sunset: Planet Earth -- APOD
March 13, 2008: Vanguard I celebrates 50 years in space -- Eurekalert
March 6, 2008: Sun's corona is both hot and kinky -- Eurekalert
February 29, 2008: Earth is doomed (in 5 billion years) -- Physics World
January 28, 2008: A solar eclipse painting from the 1700s -- APOD
January 23, 2008: Landmarks: What makes the stars shine? -- Physical Focus Review
January 16, 2008: Upgraded neutrino detector could root out dark matter -- New Scientist
December 26, 2007: "Drilling up" -- Some look to space for energy -- National Geographic
December 22, 2007: Tyrrhenian Sea and solstice sky -- NASA GSFC
December 19, 2007: Solar-like star flares up -- Astronomy.com
December 12, 2007: Foggy San Francisco has ambitious solar plan -- CNN
November 19, 2007: Sun may be smaller than thought -- New Scientist
November 12, 2007: Sun's twin discovered -- Astronomy.com
November 9, 2007: Astronomers discover Sun's twin at McDonald Observatory -- McDonald Observatory
September 14, 2007: New film opening in Boston gives first 3D look at the Sun -- NASA GSFC
September 10, 2007: Partial solar eclipse for some Southern Hemisphere observers -- Astronomy.com
August 20, 2007: Catching some rays -- NSF
July 11, 2007: Study clears Sun of global warming -- Australian Broadcasting Company
June 8, 2007: New model reveals Sun's interior -- Astronomy.com
June 1, 2007: Secrets of the Sun's sizzling corona -- Australian Broadcasting Company
May 30, 2007: Magnetic field uses sound waves to ignite solar ring of fire -- SpaceDaily
May 30, 2007: News from your favorite star -- Astronomy.com
May 22, 2007: Orange Sun oozing -- NASA GSFC APOD
May 10, 2007: Get ready to explore the heart of the Sun -- NASA GSFC
May 7, 2007: SOHO finds solar ripples -- Astronomy.com
April 24, 2007: The Sun in three dimensions -- NASA GSFC APOD
April 23, 2007: NASA spacecraft make first 3-D images of Sun -- NASA JPL
April 6, 2007: NASA unveils first stereo vision of Sun -- AGU Space Weather
March 13, 2007: Lunar transit in STEREO -- Astronomy.com
March 8, 2007: Sunlight sends asteroids spinning -- Australian Broadcasting Company
March 5, 2007: International Heliophysical Year begins -- SpaceDaily
March 3, 2007: Lunar transit from STEREO -- NASA GSFC APOD
March 2, 2007: Solar eclipse from the Moon -- NASA GSFC APOD
March 1, 2007: Ancient solar observatory discovered -- Space.com
February 23, 2007: Sol sister -- SpaceDaily
February 20, 2007: A cool solar mystery -- Science@NASA
February 19, 2007: International Heliophysical Year begins -- European Space Agency
February 7, 2007: Ulysses scores a hat-trick -- European Space Agency
February 7, 2007: NASA-European spacecraft swoops under Sun's pole -- NASA JPL
January 29, 2007: Movie: a green flash over Italy -- NASA GSFC APOD
January 25, 2007: Twin spacecraft swing past Moon to prepare for 3-D solar studies -- SpaceDaily
January 14, 2007: Comet McNaught - a first light present for STEREO -- SpaceRef.com
January 12, 2007: SOHO prepares for Comet Mcnaught -- SpaceDaily
March 28, 2012: Solar eclipses can (slightly) change weather on Earth -- National Geographic
March 27, 2012: Mercury helps scientists measure the size of the sun -- Astrobiology
March 21, 2012: How big is the sun, really? -- Sky & Telescope
March 16, 2012: Bright planets at McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope -- APOD
March 8, 2012: NASA invites students to study the sun during Solar Week - March 19-23, 2012 -- NASA
February 22, 2012: Partial solar eclipse from space -- NASA
February 9, 2012: Neutrinos point to rare stellar fusion -- Physics World
February 7, 2012: The belt of Venus over Mercedes, Argentina -- APOD
February 6, 2012: The sun as art -- NASA
January 31, 2012: The Helix Nebula from the VISTA telescope -- APOD
January 27, 2012: Solar eclipse over the USA -- Science@NASA
January 21, 2012: Days in the sun -- APOD
January 14, 2012: NGC 6369: The Little Ghost Nebula -- APOD
December 27, 2011: M27: The Dumbbell Nebula -- APOD
December 22, 2011: Throught a sun tunnel -- APOD
December 17, 2011: Comet Lovejoy: Sungrazing survivor -- APOD
December 16, 2011: Comet Lovejoy plunges into the sun and survives -- NASA
December 2, 2011: Solar eclipse over Antarctica -- APOD
November 25, 2011: A glimpse of CLIMSO -- APOD
November 15, 2011: Orange sun scintillating -- APOD
November 12, 2011: Sunspot castle -- APOD
November 8, 2011: Jumping sundogs over thunderclouds -- APOD
November 8, 2011: For Copernicus, a 'perfect heaven' put sun at center -- NPR
November 1, 2011: Hinode's first light...and five more years -- NASA
October 16, 2011: A picturesque Venus transit -- APOD
October 4, 2011: Nikolaos Paschalidis: Miniaturized details and the big picture -- NASA
October 1, 2011: UMD's 'WaterShed' wins solar decathlon 2011 -- University of Maryland
September 30, 2011: The seven suns of Rome -- Nature
September 5, 2011: HH47: A young star jet expands -- APOD
August 18, 2011: A sun pillar over Ontario -- APOD
July 22, 2011: Sun's death rattle may hurl comets out of solar system -- New Scientist
June 16, 2011: Hadrian's buildings catch the sun -- Nature
June 10, 2011: STEREO sees complete far side -- NASA
June 7, 2011: NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory catches "surfer" waves on the sun -- NASA
June 3, 2011: Midnight's solar eclipse -- APOD
June 2, 2011: Solar eclipse pictures -- National Geographic
May 31, 2011: A rare eclipse of the midnight sun -- Science@NASA
April 24, 2011: The Cat's Eye nebula from Hubble -- APOD
April 13, 2011: Little Ice Age resulted from more than just solar calm -- AGU
April 4, 2011: Looking into the sun's future -- Astrobiology
March 22, 2011: Goddard annual Sun-Earth Day has a tweeting twist -- NASA
March 19, 2011: Sun-Earth Day -- NASA
February 22, 2011: Star size comparisons -- APOD
February 18, 2011: Feeling the heat -- Scientific American
February 13, 2011: Measuring the sun's role on climate -- Astrobiology
February 11, 2011: SDO sundog mystery -- NASA
February 1, 2011: Watch out for solar sail flares -- Science@NASA
January 27, 2011: NanoSail-D flies free -- Astrobiology
January 21, 2011: Sun provides Earth with less energy than we thought -- Physics World
January 15, 2011: A total eclipse at the end of the world -- APOD
January 14, 2011: Improved measurements of sun to advance understanding of climate change -- AGU
January 10, 2011: A sun halo beyond Stockholm -- APOD
January 9, 2011: The Antikythera mechanism -- APOD
January 7, 2011: Sunset, moonset -- APOD
January 6, 2011: Sunrise, moonrise -- APOD
January 6, 2011: Hotspots in fountains on the sun's surface may help explain coronal heating mystery -- NASA
January 5, 2011: Eclipsing the sun -- APOD
January 5, 2011: Images from partial solar eclipse 01.04.11 -- NASA GSFC Flickr
January 4, 2011: A green flash from the sun -- APOD
January 4, 2011: Smithsonian scientists "fill the gap," view sun's innermost corona -- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
January 2, 2011: Looking back at an eclipsed Earth -- APOD
December 31, 2010: Analemma 2010 -- APOD
December 28, 2010: Seeing through the layers of the sun -- NASA GSFC Flickr
December 21, 2010: Tyrrhenian Sea and solstice sky -- APOD
December 14, 2010: ESA makes the sun available to everyone -- ESA
December 4, 2010: Sunset at the Spiral Jetty -- APOD
November 28, 2010: Anticrepuscular rays over Colorado -- APOD
November 23, 2010: The sun steals comets from other stars -- Science@NASA
October 22, 2010: NASA simulates the sun's power on Earth to test hardware intended for space -- NASA
September 10, 2010: Searching the sun for dark matter -- Physics World
September 9, 2010: How can we use neutrinos to probe dark matter in the sun? -- Eurekalert
September 2, 2010: NASA selects science investigations for Solar Probe Plus -- NASA
August 4, 2010: Eclipse shadow cone over Patagonia -- APOD
July 30, 2010: Eclipse on the beach -- APOD
July 24, 2010: Diamond ring and shadow bands -- APOD
July 21, 2010: The crown of the sun -- APOD
July 15, 2010: Andes sunset eclipse -- APOD
July 14, 2010: Easter Island eclipse -- APOD
July 12, 2010: Japanese solar sail successfully rides sunlight -- Space
July 7, 2010: Earth at farthest distance from sun -- why the heat wave? -- National Geographic
July 1, 2010: 2010's total eclipse of the sun -- Astronomy
June 29, 2010: All the colors of the sun -- APOD
June 23, 2010: Sunset from the International Space Station -- APOD
June 21, 2010: Sunrise solstice at Stonehenge -- APOD
June 10, 2010: The sun as comet snatcher -- Nature
May 23, 2010: Station and Shuttle transit the Sun -- APOD
May 13, 2010: Sun's size is "rock steady" -- Sky & Telescope
April 28, 2010: Sunset on a golden sea -- APOD
April 16, 2010: Bright points on the quiet Sun -- APOD
March 29, 2010: After the next sunset, please turn right -- Max Planck Society
March 23, 2010: Reinvigorated Sun and prominence -- APOD
March 21, 2010: Equinox + 1 -- APOD
March 19, 2010: Vernal equinox 2010: Facts on the first day of spring -- National Geographic
March 16, 2010: Detailed view of a solar eclipse corona -- APOD
March 15, 2010: Frogs, foam and fuel: UC researchers convert solar energy to sugars -- University of Cincinnati
March 6, 2010: Pillar at sunset -- APOD
March 1, 2010: World's mightiest solar boat unveiled -- Scientific American
February 23, 2010: Exceptional rocket waves destroy sun dog -- APOD
February 18, 2010: Cool movie: SDO destroys a sundog -- Science@NASA
February 17, 2010: 3D Sun for the iPhone -- Science@NASA
February 8, 2010: A Sun halo over Cambodia -- APOD
January 26, 2010: Annular eclipse over Myanmar -- APOD
January 25, 2010: Sun's appetite for dark matter may affect Earth's orbit -- Physics World
January 23, 2010: Eclipses in the shade -- APOD
January 22, 2010: Millennium annular solar eclipse -- APOD
January 18, 2010: Eclipse over the Temple of Poseidon -- APOD
January 16, 2010: New year sungrazer -- APOD
January 15, 2010: Eclipse photos: "Ring of Fire" shines over Africa, Asia -- National Geographic
January 5, 2010: Eclipses yield first images of elusive iron line in solar corona -- NASA
December 23, 2009: December sunrise, Cape Sounion -- APOD
December 21, 2009: AcrimSat celebrates 10 years of measuring the Sun's energy -- NASA
December 20, 2009: Tutulemma: Solar eclipse analemma -- APOD
December 15, 2009: Close-up photos of dying star show our Sun's fate -- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
November 14, 2009: DIA sunrise -- APOD
November 11, 2009: Exoplanets clue to Sun's curious chemistry -- Eurekalert
November 10, 2009: Saturn after equinox -- APOD
November 4, 2009: Blue Sun bristling -- APOD
September 24, 2009: Equinox sunset -- APOD
September 22, 2009: Autumnal equinox 2009: Facts on the first day of fall -- National Geographic
September 14, 2009: Candy-colored solar panels don't need direct Sun -- National Geographic
September 2, 2009: Mount Wilson Observatory: View from the mountaintop -- Astronomy.com
August 27, 2009: Small fluctuations in solar activity, large influence on the climate -- Eurekalert
August 26, 2009: Ice Ages follow the Sun -- Astrobiology
August 20, 2009: Eclipse city -- APOD
August 17, 2009: GOES-O releases first solar image -- NASA
August 8, 2009: Diamonds in a cloudy sky -- APOD
August 6, 2009: Long debate ended over cause, demise of ice ages -- may also help predict future -- Eurekalert
August 4, 2009: A triple sunrise over Gdansk Bay -- APOD
July 30, 2009: 6 minutes 42 seconds -- APOD
July 27, 2009: Living in a dying solar system, Part 1 -- Astrobiology
July 26, 2009: The big corona -- APOD
July 24, 2009: Eclipse over Chongqing, China -- APOD
July 23, 2009: Eclipse shadows southeastern China -- NASA Earth Observatory
July 22, 2009: Solar eclipse video: Century's longest, caught on film -- National Geographic
July 20, 2009: Longest solar eclipse of the 21st century -- Science@NASA
July 20, 2009: NASA's 'Mr. Eclipse' retires but still chasing shadows -- NASA
July 18, 2009: Planets, Great Wall, and solar eclipse -- APOD
July 3, 2009: Perihelion and aphelion -- APOD
June 30, 2009: Ulysses: 12 extra months of valuable science -- ESA
June 30, 2009: Solar ghosts may haunt Earth's radioactive atoms -- New Scientist
June 26, 2009: Solstice to solstice solargraph -- APOD
June 21, 2009: Sunrise over the Parthenon -- APOD
June 18, 2009: The eclipse in history -- ESA
June 10, 2009: Caltech visiting associate champions the study of solar eclipses in the modern era -- Caltech
June 1, 2009: Why are we moving away from the Sun? -- Sky & Telescope
May 29, 2009: World's largest solar telescope now operational -- Astronomy.com
May 28, 2009: Einstein's general theory of relativity: Celebrating the 20th century's most important experiment -- Science Daily
May 18, 2009: The Sun is burning -- HEAPOW
April 17, 2009: Discovered after 40 years: Moon dust hazard influenced by Sun's elevation -- AGU
April 17, 2009: Medieval astronomy from Melk Abbey -- APOD
April 15, 2009: Major utility company makes agreement for space-based solar power -- Universe Today
March 23, 2009: SPICE will measure Sun's plasma properties -- Astronomy.com
March 23, 2009: New Sun-watching instrument to monitor sunlight fluctuations -- NASA
March 22, 2009: Sungrazer -- APOD
March 20, 2009: Sunspots at solar maximum and minimum -- NASA's Earth Observatory
March 20, 2009: Sunset at the Portara -- APOD
March 20, 2009: Researchers reveal why Sun's atmosphere is hotter than its surface -- CORDIS
March 20, 2009: Scientists find giant solar twists -- Astronomy.com
March 10, 2009: Join NASA in celebrating Sun-Earth Day 2009 -- NASA
February 25, 2009: Otherworldly solar eclipse -- Science@NASA
February 5, 2009: Natural solar collectors on butterfly wings inspire more powerful solar cells -- Science Daily
February 4, 2009: How will the Solar System end? -- New Scientist
February 4, 2009: Is the Roman Pantheon a colossal sundial? -- New Scientist
January 29, 2009: Eclipse shirt 2009 -- APOD
January 28, 2009: A partial eclipse over Manila Bay -- APOD
January 28, 2009: How will the Solar System end? -- New Scientist
January 25, 2009: Annular eclipse: The ring of fire -- APOD
January 15, 2009: Suspension bridge solargraph -- APOD
January 15, 2009: Double sun dog dazzles icy Omaha -- National Geographic
December 21, 2008: Analemma over the Porch of Maidens -- APOD
December 20, 2008: Solstice at Newgrange -- APOD
December 15, 2008: A Sun pillar over North Carolina -- APOD
November 17, 2008: Sun shines on future Mars colonies -- New Scientist
October 24, 2008: Using sunlight more efficiently -- AIP
October 23, 2008: COROT directly sees 'sun-quakes' in other stars for the first time -- ESA
October 20, 2008: How does solar power work? -- Scientific American
October 2, 2008: NASA spacecraft finds the Sun is not a perfect sphere -- NASA
September 22, 2008: Equinox: The Sun from solstice to solstice -- APOD
September 20, 2008: A darkened sky -- APOD
September 17, 2008: Immigrant Sun -- Astronomy.com
September 9, 2008: Solar shift -- Astrobiology Magazine
September 8, 2008: The Sun will eventually engulf Earth -- maybe -- Scientific American
August 31, 2008: Eclipse over the Great Wall -- APOD
August 21, 2008: August moons -- APOD
August 19, 2008: Chemist travels world to study mysterious properties of neutrinos -- Brookhaven National Lab
August 18, 2008: Baily's beads near solar eclipse totality -- APOD
August 8, 2008: The crown of the sun -- APOD
August 7, 2008: At the sun's edge -- APOD
August 5, 2008: A total solar eclipse over China -- APOD
August 5, 2008: Eclipse darkens NW China, a week before Olympics -- Scientific American
August 2, 2008: Eclipse shirt -- APOD
August 1, 2008: Eclipse blankets Russia; thousands watch in awe -- Scientific American
July 31, 2008: A brief history of solar sails -- Science@NASA
July 31, 2008: Eclipse expert makes hot finds in sun's darkest hour -- National Geographic
July 31, 2008: Solar-cell material can soak up more sun -- New Scientist
July 30, 2008: Voyaging to the stars on a solar breeze -- Scientific American
July 29, 2008: Partial eclipse, total fun -- Science@NASA
July 22, 2008: Total solar eclipse on August 1: Where, how to see it -- National Geographic
July 10, 2008: Science: Simple, inexpensive solar energy from light-absorbing dyes -- AAAS
July 9, 2008: Study puts solar spin on asteroids, their moons, and Earth impacts -- University of Maryland
June 23, 2008: Ancient eclipse found in "The Odyssey", scientists say -- National Geographic
June 1, 2008: How to harvest solar power? Beam it down from space! -- CNN
May 31, 2008: A view to the sunset -- APOD
May 29, 2008: A fog bow over Ocean Beach -- APOD
May 29, 2008: Warm coronal loops offer clue to mysteriously hot solar atmosphere -- NASA GSFC
May 22, 2008: Sun's properties not 'fine-tuned' for life -- New Scientist
May 20, 2008: The enigmatic sun: A crucible for new physics -- CERN
May 16, 2008: Circles in the sky -- APOD
May 6, 2008: Chasing the green flash -- Astronomy.com
May 4, 2008: An Antarctic total solar eclipse -- APOD
April 18, 2008: Solar flares set the sun quaking -- ESA
April 4, 2008: Medical x-ray technique unveils the sun's corona -- Science Daily
April 3, 2008: 'No sun link' to climate change -- BBC News
March 22, 2008: Cat's Eye Hubble remix -- APOD
March 20, 2008: Sunset: Planet Earth -- APOD
March 13, 2008: Vanguard I celebrates 50 years in space -- Eurekalert
March 6, 2008: Sun's corona is both hot and kinky -- Eurekalert
February 29, 2008: Earth is doomed (in 5 billion years) -- Physics World
January 28, 2008: A solar eclipse painting from the 1700s -- APOD
January 23, 2008: Landmarks: What makes the stars shine? -- Physical Focus Review
January 16, 2008: Upgraded neutrino detector could root out dark matter -- New Scientist
December 26, 2007: "Drilling up" -- Some look to space for energy -- National Geographic
December 22, 2007: Tyrrhenian Sea and solstice sky -- NASA GSFC
December 19, 2007: Solar-like star flares up -- Astronomy.com
December 12, 2007: Foggy San Francisco has ambitious solar plan -- CNN
November 19, 2007: Sun may be smaller than thought -- New Scientist
November 12, 2007: Sun's twin discovered -- Astronomy.com
November 9, 2007: Astronomers discover Sun's twin at McDonald Observatory -- McDonald Observatory
September 14, 2007: New film opening in Boston gives first 3D look at the Sun -- NASA GSFC
September 10, 2007: Partial solar eclipse for some Southern Hemisphere observers -- Astronomy.com
August 20, 2007: Catching some rays -- NSF
July 11, 2007: Study clears Sun of global warming -- Australian Broadcasting Company
June 8, 2007: New model reveals Sun's interior -- Astronomy.com
June 1, 2007: Secrets of the Sun's sizzling corona -- Australian Broadcasting Company
May 30, 2007: Magnetic field uses sound waves to ignite solar ring of fire -- SpaceDaily
May 30, 2007: News from your favorite star -- Astronomy.com
May 22, 2007: Orange Sun oozing -- NASA GSFC APOD
May 10, 2007: Get ready to explore the heart of the Sun -- NASA GSFC
May 7, 2007: SOHO finds solar ripples -- Astronomy.com
April 24, 2007: The Sun in three dimensions -- NASA GSFC APOD
April 23, 2007: NASA spacecraft make first 3-D images of Sun -- NASA JPL
April 6, 2007: NASA unveils first stereo vision of Sun -- AGU Space Weather
March 13, 2007: Lunar transit in STEREO -- Astronomy.com
March 8, 2007: Sunlight sends asteroids spinning -- Australian Broadcasting Company
March 5, 2007: International Heliophysical Year begins -- SpaceDaily
March 3, 2007: Lunar transit from STEREO -- NASA GSFC APOD
March 2, 2007: Solar eclipse from the Moon -- NASA GSFC APOD
March 1, 2007: Ancient solar observatory discovered -- Space.com
February 23, 2007: Sol sister -- SpaceDaily
February 20, 2007: A cool solar mystery -- Science@NASA
February 19, 2007: International Heliophysical Year begins -- European Space Agency
February 7, 2007: Ulysses scores a hat-trick -- European Space Agency
February 7, 2007: NASA-European spacecraft swoops under Sun's pole -- NASA JPL
January 29, 2007: Movie: a green flash over Italy -- NASA GSFC APOD
January 25, 2007: Twin spacecraft swing past Moon to prepare for 3-D solar studies -- SpaceDaily
January 14, 2007: Comet McNaught - a first light present for STEREO -- SpaceRef.com
January 12, 2007: SOHO prepares for Comet Mcnaught -- SpaceDaily
Click on images above to
learn more about them
A service of the Heliophysics
Science Division at NASA's GSFC
Questions and comments to: cosmicopia@cosmicra.gsfc.nasa.gov
Curator: Dr Eric R. Christian, NASA
Responsible NASA Official: Dr Eric R. Christian
Privacy Policy and Important Notices
Questions and comments to: cosmicopia@cosmicra.gsfc.nasa.gov
Curator: Dr Eric R. Christian, NASA
Responsible NASA Official: Dr Eric R. Christian
Privacy Policy and Important Notices
HOME
In the News
History
Ask Us
Great Links
Glossary
Site Map
Search NASA
