Solar magnetism revealed by SDO

By combining different images of the Sun, taken almost at the same time on June 7, 2013, the underlying magnetic structure of the Sun and how it appears above the solar surface can be revealed. SDO engineers combined a magnetic image of the Sun, where darker and lighter tones indicate the stronger north and south polarity of active regions, and blended this image into an extreme ultraviolet image of the Sun. As a result, arcs of magnetic field lines can be seen rising out and returning to these same active regions. Scientists have learned how to illustrate the magnetic field lines, so we can view their projections. The result is a brief, visual lesson in solar magnetism. 

Credit: NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory

Featured image: Youtube screenshot (Credit: Camilla Corona SDO)