virtuallinda

August 8, 2018

It’s Surprisingly Hard to Go to the Sun

Why does the Parker Solar Probe have such a long and complex orbit to get close to the Sun? Why doesn’t it just fall right toward it? Turns out it’s a lot harder to approach the Sun than you might […]
August 1, 2018

Parker Solar Probe: Humanity’s First Visit to a Star

Parker Solar Probe is a historic mission, flying into the Sun’s atmosphere (or corona) for the first time! It will have 24 orbits around the sun, traveling at a top speed of 430,000 mph—the fastest man-made object ever! It can also withstand temperatures outside the spacecraft that reach nearly 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,377 degrees Celsius)!
August 22, 2017

SDO’s View of the August 21 Solar Eclipse

A movie of the Aug 21, 2017 lunar transit as viewed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO.)  Credit: NASA/SDO The Sun appears in visible light, and 171 ångstrom extreme ultraviolet light. The movie shows the Sun moving a bit because […]
April 21, 2017

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) – Year 7

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has now captured nearly seven years worth of ultra-high resolution solar footage. This time-lapse shows that full run from two of SDO’s instruments. CREDIT: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO, Music: “Web of Intrigue” from Killer Tracks. The […]
April 21, 2016

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) – Year 6

This video shows the sun in the 171 angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light. It covers a time period of January 2, 2015 to January 28, 2016 at a cadence of one frame every hour, or 24 frames per day. CREDIT: NASA/Goddard […]
November 9, 2014

Northern Lights Bucket List

NOTE: The page load time might be slow due to the HD size of the photos & videos. This post is dedicated to Alex Maltosz-Cox, a 17-year old with terminal bone cancer, and his mom Bobbie. We saw your story […]
April 21, 2014

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) – Year 4

Massive solar flares, graceful eruptions of solar material, and an enormous sunspot make up some of the imagery captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory during its fourth year in orbit. CREDIT: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/SDO, Music: Stella Maris courtesy of Moby […]
April 21, 2012

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) – Year 2

April 21, 2012 marks the two-year anniversary of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) First Light press conference, where NASA revealed the first images taken by the spacecraft. This video highlights just some of the amazing events witnessed in SDO’s second […]
April 21, 2011

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) – Year One

April 21, 2011 marks the one-year anniversary of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) First Light press conference, where NASA revealed the first images taken by the spacecraft. In the last year, the sun has gone from its quietest period in […]