Worldbook at NASA

The sun

Sun: A huge, glowing ball at the center of our solar system.

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NASA Facts: Hinode

Solar flares are sudden releases of energy on the solar surface lasting several minutes to a few hours. They occur when magnetic fields on the sun's surface get tangled and 'reconnect,' causing nearby plasma to become superheated.

Artist concept of space weather showing an active Sun with flares and a CME in the upper right, the Earth in the lower right with types of technology affected by space weather to the lower left; satellites, airplanes, the ISS and ground-based electrical lines.
Heliophysics

Studying the Sun-Earth connection.

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Latest News and Features

Spectacular images from the Hinode spacecraft show the solar eclipse, which darkened the sky in parts of the Western United States and Southeast Asia yesterday. This image shows the sun 2 minutes after the start of the partial eclipse of the Sun.

Hinode Witnesses Solar Eclipse

Spectacular images from the Hinode spacecraft show the solar eclipse, which darkened the sky in parts of the Western United States and Southeast Asia ...

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Hinode captured this image of the January 6, 2011 solar eclipse.

Solar Eclipse, May 20, 2012

On May 20-21, 2012 an annular eclipse of the Sun will be visible from within a narrow corridor along Earth's northern Hemisphere.

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In 2008 in the northern hemisphere of the sun (left) Hinode observed large patches of negative polarity, shown in orange. In 2011 (right), the same area showed much smaller patches and a more even distribution of negative and positive (blue) regions.

Hinode/SOHO Paint Asymmetrical Picture Of the Sun

The solar cycle unfolds with seeming regularity every 11 years -- magnetic north and south pole flip -- now two upcoming papers show that the switch ...

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Image Gallery

Hinode Latest News

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Overview: Hinode - Mission to the Sun

    Hinode is an international mission to study our nearest star, the sun. To accomplish this, the Hinode mission includes a suite of three science instruments -- the Solar Optical Telescope, X-ray Telescope and Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer.

    Together, these instruments will study the generation, transport, and dissipation of magnetic energy from the photosphere to the corona and will record how energy stored in the sun's magnetic field is released, either gradually or violently, as the field rises into the sun’s outer atmosphere. > Read more

Video Vault

Hinode Views Sun's Eclipse

Hinode views eclipse in July of 2009.
07.23.09
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Hidden Boundaries of Sunspots

Hinode image
09.29.08
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Simulation: Sun's Atmosphere

A computer simulation of the sun's atmosphere
12.06.07
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Related Multimedia

The Story of Hinode (Solar-B)

Hinode artist concept
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Hinode in Orbit

Artist concept of Hinode in orbit
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Coronal Mass Ejection

Coronal mass ejection
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Related Links

    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
    Learn more about JAXA's involvement with Hinode.
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    Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL)
    Learn more about the Solar & Astrophysics Laboratory.
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    X-Ray Telescope (XRT)
    Learn more about the X-Ray Telescope (X-Ray XRT).
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    Hinode - Solar Math
    Learn more about Hinode and Solar Math.
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    Solar Dynamics Observatory
    Learn more about the Solar Dynamics Observatory.
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    Virtual Solar Observatory
    Learn more about the Virtual Solar Observatory.
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    National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
    Learn more about the Hinode project office at NAOJ.
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    Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
    Learn more about JAXA's involvement with Hinode.
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    Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO)
    STEREO Readies for Sun Imaging Mission.
    › View Site


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    NASA Headquarters
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