Thermonuclear Art – The Sun In Ultra-HD (4K)

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), was strapped on top of an Atlas V-401 rocket and launched back in February 2010. It was designed to capture images of the Sun once every 12 seconds in a geosynchronous orbit around the Earth.

The probe observes the Sun in ten different wavelengths which each in turn measure a specific range of temperatures, all at the same time. Combining this data gives them one of the most accurate and detailed view of our Sun possible.

According to NASA, it took an astonishing 300 hours to create this video. I don't expect you to watch the whole thing, but there are beautiful displays of solar activity shown in each wavelength waiting to command your respect and attention.

I have this playing in 4K on my TV in the background and it is quite relaxing. The video begins at 0:45. and remember to watch it in the highest resolution that your device will support!

As a bonus, I'm going to beef up this thread with another amazing video. It consists of a collection of data visualizations based on observations made by NASA spacecraft. In my opinion, its not as captivating as the first, but beautiful nonetheless.

There are a few more videos in 4K at this link.

Enjoy!

a reply to: eisegesis

Anywhere you can find pictures?

Wow, breath taking!!!!! Thanks for sharing!

SDO is a wonderful tool. In the short time it's been active it's shown us things about our star we never imagined. One of those things being that it is more complex and beautiful than we ever conceived.

originally posted by: rajas
a reply to: eisegesis

Anywhere you can find pictures?

Sure. If you are unable to take a screenshot during video playback on your device, go to Google image search, type in "Sun" and search. At the top, click on "Search tools", then click on "Size". Hover down to "Larger than..." and choose the resolution that you want.

a reply to: eisegesis

Or, for a "realtime" look:
sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov...

a reply to: Phage

Thanks for the link.

I admit, I shut off all the lights and stood in front of my TV in awe. I imagined flying through space with my eyes closed and opening them after reaching the Sun. The added resolution just amplifies any emotion I felt.

a reply to: eisegesis

I imagined flying through space with my eyes closed and opening them after reaching the Sun.

Ooo. Not a good idea.
Unless, of course, you do it at night.

I have seen plenty of similar videos, as I love them.. but that one is really something eise!

It opened my eyes in ways I didn't expect or imagine. Absolutely stunningly incredible..

I always try to comprehend the scope and size, but always fail completely

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: eisegesis

I imagined flying through space with my eyes closed and opening them after reaching the Sun.

Ooo. Not a good idea.
Unless, of course, you do it at night.

Aren't you bright...

Don't worry, I borrowed your grandma's Cover-Ups before I left.

Thanks for those two videos. I especially liked the view of Tycho crater in the second video, complete with the huge boulder sitting on top of the central peak.

Images from space are fantastic, and put you in the "seat" of the spacecraft that took those images.

One project I'm really looking forward to is In Saturn's Rings, which will be a large format movie about Saturn made exclusively from real photographs taken by spacecraft. Here's the trailer: www.youtube.com...

Looks like more NASA CGI to me, like the rest of the "space" propaganda they put out?

Think about it. How does the image resolution of Cassini become increasingly better since 2006? You cannot increase resolution from software updates.

That had to be one of the coolest videos I ever watched!

Interesting watching the behavior and elegant dance of the solar flares. Also interesting how the active areas are lined up and innerconnectedness of them all. Power in, power out, power in, power out. Actually looks more series than parallel. Positive to negative to positive etc. When the points of polarity meet, creates a arc blast and off goes a CME. Pretty rad!

originally posted by: sociolpath
Looks like more NASA CGI to me, like the rest of the "space" propaganda they put out?

Think about it. How does the image resolution of Cassini become increasingly better since 2006?

It doesn't, it's still the good old 1024x1024 pixels, as it always was. But I guess those images can be up-sampled or enlarged using sofisticated modern techniques to make them look good on the big screen.

What "propaganda" is there to talk about when the bulk of data coming in from Cassini is purely scientific? The pretty images are just a nice by-product of that mission, and if they are used for PR and for encouraging support for such space missions, what about it?

This video is DEFINATELY "art". Someone at NASA spent 300 hours airbrushing activity on the surface. Another big deception peddled by yours truly.

If you want to see authentic Solar activity:

Helio Viewer

Use your god given imagination to look at the eruptions and ejections in their videos. Trained eyes can see the rest of the party on the surface itself.

Enjoy.

The Sun...our star. Repeat that, OUR star.

What a beautiful thing it is!

Thanks.

originally posted by: trifecta
This video is DEFINATELY "art". Someone at NASA spent 300 hours airbrushing activity on the surface. Another big deception peddled by yours truly.

If you want to see authentic Solar activity:

Helio Viewer

Use your god given imagination to look at the eruptions and ejections in their videos. Trained eyes can see the rest of the party on the surface itself.

Enjoy.

Ouch, do you go to parties bursting balloons?
Just sayin

originally posted by: trifecta
This video is DEFINATELY "art". Someone at NASA spent 300 hours airbrushing activity on the surface. Another big deception peddled by yours truly.

If you want to see authentic Solar activity:

Helio Viewer

Use your god given imagination to look at the eruptions and ejections in their videos. Trained eyes can see the rest of the party on the surface itself.

Enjoy.

That's kind of funny. Do you have any idea where the Heliovewer images come from?

a reply to: eisegesis

Just amazing... A few seconds in and my thoughts started to drift away towards the "magic" must have been applied to make such balls of fire to form and the meaning of their significance in the universe.

F&S

originally posted by: DenyObfuscation

originally posted by: trifecta
This video is DEFINATELY "art". Someone at NASA spent 300 hours airbrushing activity on the surface. Another big deception peddled by yours truly.

If you want to see authentic Solar activity:

Helio Viewer

Use your god given imagination to look at the eruptions and ejections in their videos. Trained eyes can see the rest of the party on the surface itself.

Enjoy.

That's kind of funny. Do you have any idea where the Heliovewer images come from?

I do. Ironic no?

The stark difference is that those files aren't some diorama for public consumption and advert. The space agencies do occasionally leave an Easter egg or two...