Let me count the ways... (November 30, 2007)

Hi-res TIF image (5.0M)

Solar study spacecraft from a number of missions observe the Sun in various wavelengths of light every day. This representative collage, made from images taken on November 25, 2007, suggests some (but not all) of the various missions and wavelengths that are captured and made available on the web daily. By observing in different wavelengths of light the instruments show different features of the Sun at different temperatures and elevations above the surface. And when you consider the two STEREO spacecraft, separated by 41 degrees of perspective, then we add another dimension to our observations. For the first time, we can observe that much more of the Sun. Taken together, these spacecraft and their images provide scientists with a whole range of information about the Sun and its processes.

(The title is a paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning's sonnet, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.")

SOHO began its Weekly Pick some time after sending a weekly image or video clip to the American Museum of Natural History (Rose Center) in New York City. There, the SOHO Weekly Pick is displayed with some annotations on a large plasma display.

If your institution would also like to receive the same Weekly Pick from us for display (usually in Photoshop or QuickTime format), please send your inquiry to steele.hill@gsfc.nasa.gov.