NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) monitors the sun 24 hours a day. Using their Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, it takes a photo of the sun every 12 seconds at 10 different wavelengths.
They combined the footage of one year, taken at a wavelength that shows solar material at 1,079,540 degrees F, into a stunning time-lapse video.
The footage was takeb between Jan. 1, 2015, and Jan. 28, 2016, with each frame in video representing two hours.
In the video, the sun appears to slightly change in size. This is due to the fluctuating distance between the sun and the SDO spacecraft that takes the images.
The constant movement that can be see on the sun is due to it’s complex electromagnetic system. NASA says this is one of the key reasons it studies the sun, as changes to the sun’s electromagnetic system affects the earth.
One such disruption is caused by solar flares which have the potential to disrupt our technology in space.
