Our kaleidoscopic sun: Nasa image reveals the star's rainbow colours that are invisible to the naked eye

  • Composite picture shows colours emitted by Solar Dynamics Observatory
  • The sun is filled with many atoms which give off various wavelengths
  • SDO converts these wavelengths into images the human eye can see

By Sam Webb

PUBLISHED: 11:58 EST, 19 December 2013 | UPDATED: 12:49 EST, 19 December 2013

Nasa has released an incredible image that shows the dizzying array of colours that can be seen emanating from the sun in wavelengths that cannot be seen by the human eye.

It was made possible by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, using the wide range of wavelengths that the telescope can view.

SDO converts the wavelengths into an image humans can see, and the light is colourised into a rainbow of colors.

A composite image shows the many different wavelengths given off by the sun, usually invisible to the human eye

A composite image shows the many different wavelengths given off by the sun, usually invisible to the human eye

Taking a photo of the sun with a standard camera will provide a familiar image: a yellowish, featureless disk, perhaps a bit more red when near the horizon since the light must travel through more of Earth's atmosphere and consequently loses blue wavelengths before getting to the camera's lens.

 

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The sun, in fact, emits light in all colours, but since yellow is the brightest wavelength from the sun, that is the colour we see with our naked eye - via the camera , since the sun should never be looked at directly.

When all the visible colours come together, scientists call this 'white light'.

 
335 Angstroms: This wavelength also shows hotter, magnetically active regions in the corona

335 Angstroms: This wavelength also shows hotter, magnetically active regions in the corona

211 Angstroms: This wavelength shows hotter, magnetically active regions in the sun's corona

211 Angstroms: This wavelength shows hotter, magnetically active regions in the sun's corona

 

We see the visible spectrum of light simply because the sun is made up of a hot gas – heat produces light just as it does in a light bulb.

But when it comes to the shorter wavelengths, the sun sends out extreme ultraviolet light and x-rays because it is filled with many kinds of atoms, each of which give off light of a certain wavelength when they reach a certain temperature.

Not only does the sun contain many different atoms – helium, hydrogen, iron, for example - but also different kinds of each atom with different electrical charges, known as ions.

Each ion can emit light at specific wavelengths when it reaches a particular temperature.

94 Angstroms: This highlights regions of the corona during a solar flare
304 Angstroms: This light is emitted from the chromosphere and transition region

The left image highlights regions of the corona during a solar flare, while the one on the right shows light emitted from the chromosphere and transition region

131 Angstroms: The hottest material in a flare

131 Angstroms: The hottest material in a flare

INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE: THE WAVELENGTHS SDO CAN 'SEE'

The wavelengths SDO observes, measured in Angstroms (a measurement used to express the sizes of atoms, molecules):

4500: Showing the sun's surface or photosphere.

1700: Shows surface of the sun, as well as a layer of the sun's atmosphere called the chromosphere, which lies just above the photosphere and is where the temperature begins rising.

1600: Shows a mixture between the upper photosphere and what's called the transition region, a region between the chromosphere and the upper most layer of  the sun's atmosphere called the corona. The transition region is where the temperature rapidly rises.

304: This light is emitted from the chromosphere and transition region.

171: This wavelength shows the sun's atmosphere, or corona, when it's quiet. It also shows giant magnetic arcs known as coronal loops.

193: Shows a slightly hotter region of the corona, and also the much hotter material of a solar flare.

211: This wavelength shows hotter, magnetically active regions in the sun's corona.

335: This wavelength also shows hotter, magnetically active regions in the corona.

94: This highlights regions of the corona during a solar flare.

131: The hottest material in a flare.

1700 Angstroms: Shows surface of the sun, as well as a layer of the sun's atmosphere called the chromosphere, which lies just above the photosphere and is where the temperature begins rising

1700 Angstroms: Shows surface of the sun, as well as a layer of the sun's atmosphere called the chromosphere, which lies just above the photosphere and is where the temperature begins rising

How we see it: This image incorporates a broad range of visible light
1600 Angstroms: Shows a mixture between the upper photosphere and what's called the transition region, a region between the chromosphere and the upper most layer of the sun's atmosphere called the corona

How we see it: The left image incorporates a broad range of visible light.  The one on the right shows a mixture between the upper photosphere and what's called the transition region, a region between the chromosphere and the upper most layer of the sun's atmosphere called the corona

Solar telescopes make use of this wavelength information in two ways. For one, certain instruments, known as spectrometers, observe many wavelengths of light simultaneously and can measure how much of each wavelength of light is present.

Different wavelengths convey information about different components of the sun's surface and atmosphere, so scientists use them to paint a full picture of our constantly changing and varying star.

By examining pictures of the sun in a variety of wavelengths – as is done not only by SDO, but also by Nasa's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, its Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory and the European Space Agency/Nasa Solar and Heliospheric Observatory - scientists can track how particles and heat move through the sun's atmosphere.

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Interesting info. If only they spent half as much researching the oceans.

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Who? NASA?

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Why oh why do idiotic ignorant people make negative comments on such articles? Do these half-educated people seriously think they know better than scientists with degrees?

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This article is incredibly wrong.. It's so wrong in fact it's a joke.

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Good grief.. ALL the colours of the VISIBLE spectrum emitted by the sun are seen by the naked eye.. ALL the colours mixed together combine to make white light but we are still seeing all the "frequencies" or colours.

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pontless rant you clearly just skimmed and didnt rely understand

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So is your second letter your attempt to share the joke.

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Where ?

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The sun is undergoing massive changes and more information can be found by searching online for 'anonymousfo sun' and 'nasa giant holes sun'.

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Up above the streets and houses rainbow climbing high,everyone can see them smiling over the sky

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Science.. BOOOOOORINGGGG

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Why read it then you ignorant fool...

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You could get an education. Then you might not be so boring.

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Did you know a standard cheap digital camera can see a greater range of frequencies than our eyes can see? If you don't believe me go to camera on your mobile phone get your TV remote point it towards the camera lens on your phone and press a button on the remote. now all this story is on about is cameras that see different frequency ranges its nothing really super technical.

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How do we know this is true or is it their impression of what is out there.... a bit wikipedia-ish if you ask me.

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You're yet another ignorant commentator Pat...

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1) I didn't ask you and 2) I paid attention during physics lessons at school and uni.

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