NASA’s time-lapse video of Sun covering 22-years leaves netizens mesmerised | Watch

In a bid to mark the 25th anniversary of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), NASA on December 2 released a spectacular time-lapse video of the Sun. SOHO is a joint project from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) and since its launch, the mission has kept watch on the Sun. The video showcased a nearly 50-minute-long clip of the sun blasting out solar material from 1998 through 2020. 

According to NASA, SOHO spacecraft is a permanent spectator of the sun’s activities, recording its every move. In the caption, the US Space agency said that the footage shows the sun turning and background stars whirling by providing how constant the stream of material is that is blasted in all directions, known as the solar wind. To capture the “decades of the sun,” SOHO uses special telescopes known as coronagraphs that block out the face of the sun and capture views of coronal mass ejections (CMEs). 

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The caption read, “Throughout the video, the Sun releases bursts of material called coronal mass ejections: fast-moving clouds of solar material that can trigger space weather effects on Earth — like auroras, communications problems, and even power outages — and for spacecraft in their path. These storms are more frequent near solar maximum, the period approximately every 11 years when the Sun’s activity is at a high point”. 

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Further, NASA said that when solar particles are bombarding SOHO, there are occasional blasts of extreme white noise. The fast-moving bright spots with lines radiating to the sides are also photobombing planets that are revolving around the star. Moreover, with the help of LASCO (Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph), SOHO provides a 360-degree view of the atmosphere around the Sun. LASCO images captured via SOHO have also become crucial for space weather predictions. 

Netizens call it ‘beautiful’ 

Meanwhile, since shared, the clip has garnered hundreds of likes and comments. It has also left several internet users mesmerised. While one user wrote, “This is amazing!! Thank you for putting this video together. Fascinating and interesting, I am excited about this next solar cycle,” another added, “How can something so dangerous be so beautiful”. “To realise this has been occurring for billions of years, it's a wonder that there is anything left,” added third. “Beautiful,” added fourth. 

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