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Nasa release incredible year-long timelapse video of the Sun

The video was released to mark the sixth year anniversary of Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, which launched in February 2010.

Ryan Ramgobin
Wednesday 17 February 2016 12:13 GMT
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Nasa release year-long time-lapse of the Sun

Nasa has released a stunning timelapse video that shows a year’s worth of the Sun’s activity.

Nasa’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) first launched on 11 February 2010, and its purpose is to measure and capture the star’s changes.

An image was taken every 12 seconds in ten different wavelengths. The images are based on a wavelength of 171 angstroms, which is in the extreme ultraviolet range and shows solar material hotter than 500,000 degrees Celsius.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said: “During the course of the video, the sun subtly increases and decreases in apparent size. This is because the distance between the SDO spacecraft and the sun varies over time.”

“The image is, however, remarkably consistent and stable despite the fact that SDO orbits Earth at 6,876 mph, and Earth orbits the sun at 67,062 mph.”

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