Spectacular images from Sun probe

Spectacular images from Sun probe
(ABC News) April 22, 2010
Dr Marsden says SDO will also help scientists understand the relationship between sunspot activity and climate change on Earth. "During a period called the Maunder Minimum (1645-1715), sunspot activity almost completely disappeared. It coincided with a mini-ice age when the Thames River froze and there were colder than usual conditions across Europe," he said. SDO carries a Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager which maps solar magnetic fields. It can also look beneath the Sun's opaque surface using ultrasound. Another key instrument is the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, a group of four telescopes which will study the Sun's surface and atmosphere in 10 different wavelength bands. "Because it operates at different wavelengths ... SDO will help us understand what's going on inside the Sun's dynamo," Dr Marsden said. The third major component is the Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment which measures fluctuations in the Sun's radiant emissions. These emissions have a direct effect on Earth's upper atmosphere.