NOT TO MISS! 21 Beautiful Photos of the Sun

[mod mom]

October 13, 2008

The Sun

The Sun is now in the quietest phase of its 11-year activity cycle, the solar minimum - in fact, it has been unusually quiet this year - with over 200 days so far with no observed sunspots. The solar wind has also dropped to its lowest levels in 50 years. Scientists are unsure of the significance of this unusual calm, but are continually monitoring our closest star with an array of telescopes and satellites. Seen below are some recent images of the Sun in more active times. (21 photos total)

photos at link:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/10/the_sun.html

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. hmm

the sun is quiet...too quiet, if you ask me. :tinfoilhat:

[Arugula Latte]

33. Do we really know the sun? Can the sun be trusted?

I just don't feel comfortable with the sun. I don't feel like the sun is very much like me and the Americans I know. Plus, the sun pals around with suspicious planets.

[Heather MC]

35. the sun is an immigrant we don't know what Country it's from, let alone what planet

It's Risky, dangerous, and when it burns your skin, that's being disrespectful

[Javaman]

56. Why does the sun hate America? why does it want to steal our freedoms? nt

[OregonBlue]

2. Stunning. Thank you.

[bdamomma]

3. great pictures

isn't science great!!

[Canuckistanian]

4. I've heard that it's not that unusual.... yet

But if this low sunspot activity continues for another year or so, researchers will start to worry about their 11-year cycle predictive model.

[beam me up scottie]

5. Breathtaking!

Just added these to my collection:

Detailed closeup of magnetic structures on the Sun's surface, seen in the H-alpha wavelength on August 22, 2003. (Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST) operated by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Oddbjorn Engvold, Jun Elin Wiik, Luc Rouppe van der Voort) #

An animation of the sun, seen by NASA's Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (EIT) over the course of 6 days, starting June 27, 2005. (Courtesy of SOHO/EIT consortium) #
(if not spinning, right click and open image to see the animation)

On September 30, 2001, TRACE observed an M1.0 flare in an active region very near to the solar limb. Fragments of a prominence hovered above the regions, with filamentary dark (relatively cool) material moving along the field lines, which then spread to form this dragon-like bright outline. (NASA/TRACE) #

[Blue_Tires]

40. a bucket of water will douse those flames out!

[beam me up scottie]

44. That's actually a picture of the pit of my stomach.

I'm hoping it will be extinguished on November 4th. :)

[Triana]

6. NICE Photos! Thanks! n/t

[Vinnie From Indy]

7. humbling and beautiful

[SpiralHawk]

8. Wow

k and r

[GreenEyedLefty]

9. Awe-inspiring.

I have never felt awe from religion, but I have from contemplating the night sky.

[deaniac21]

24. I thought we were contemplating the sun....

[GreenEyedLefty]

39. Indeed, we were.

I posted on my first cup of coffee. Alas.

[yellowdogintexas]

10. those are extraordinary, thank you for posting that link. n t

[MilesColtrane]

11. So...when they're taking pictures of an "unusually calm" sun,

...do they have to use a flash?

:shrug:

[Stuart G]

12. Incredible..beautiful, speritual..nt

[Stuart G]

13. Our Mr. Sun......

50 years ago..The Old ATT sponsored a science show called...Our Mr.Sun...these pics remind me of that show..

...It giveth life through the grace of God.,,

[trusty elf]

14. Amazing pics!

Recommended.

Thanks

[Junkdrawer]

15. If the poles are melting at a solar minimum, God help us when normal output resumes...

:scared:

[Mabus]

16. Absolutely breathtaking

Thanks for posting. There are some incredible pictures.

[gblady]

17. thanks for those....

breathtaking!

[entanglement]

18. Great pics. Boston.com's "big picture" feature is awesome - strongly recommended

[TornadoTN]

19. Stunning photos - but the comments section at the bottom is awe-inspiringly idiotic

It's already overrun with fundies saying "SEE? LOOK THAT PROVES THERE IS A GOD!!!".

I'm not saying it proves or disproves anything - and that's the point!

[Neecy]

21. I noticed that....

They flock into any science forum and try to explain everything in Godspeak.

[qanda]

20. Great pictures

Thanks for sharing.

[RandomKoolzip]

22. Comment on thread: "You still believe there is no God?"

My answer: "Um...yes."

[Arugula Latte]

34. Yeah -- That is always such a stupid line of reasoning, isn't it?

Because nature is spectacular, beautiful and awe-inspiring proves there is some sort of supernatural deity? ... Umm, yeah, okay.

[flygal]

23. So cool - thanks!

[SammyWinstonJack]

25. Amazing! And of course the "GOD" believers and the Anti-Global Warming nuts had to weigh in.

Amazing pictures! I think those who will be punished after death may be thrown in a similar place;So this picture will help them to believe in GOD!


Awesome, thank you! Seems like "global warming" is going down :)








Yeah, I saw the "light" and it made me believe in GOD! :silly:

[beam me up scottie]

27. Who needs their stoopid god?

If I want a thug to punish people who aren't like me, I'll find one in the yellow pages.

[SammyWinstonJack]

50. !

:thumbsup:

[lovuian]

26. Made my day Fantastic

thanks

[mod mom]

29. I sent it to my children's science teachers. Our school now utilizes a smart screen

(large computerized blackboard that can show an entire screen) so hopefully they will share the enlarged versions with the class!

[chalky]

38. That gif of the rotating sun would be spectacular on a large screen!

n/t

[Uncle Joe]

28. Cool, I mean hot, those are some stunning photos of the sun.

Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, mod mom.:thumbsup:

[Kablooie]

30. Fascinating, but I went blind staring at the pictures too long.

[leftofthedial]

31. looks hot.

[Sabriel]

32. Thanks for my new desktop pic

And in honor of the sun, They Might Be Giants:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyz7e8iQ6Uo

[Ptah]

36. .

[alfredo]

37. Beautiful

[Doodler71]

41. Thank you for posting this

I just forwarded it on to my younger son's science teacher. The are just doing a unit on the Sun and planets.

This was most excellent.

:)

[sasori]

42. they look awesome.

although i really despise science.:yoiks:

[ddeclue]

43. Oh no...I'm blind now!!!

That's what I get for staring at the sun like that!

:rofl:

[malaise]

45. Beautiful

Actually the word is stunning. Thanks.

[LibbyTreehugger]

46. Thanks

Beautiful pictures. I can't wait to show my son. :)

[beam me up scottie]

54. Hi LibbyTreehugger!

A very belated welcome to DU!
I almost forgot about this smilie I found a couple of years ago, thanks for reminding me!:

[NNN0LHI]

47. I love the sun you should cross post this to the science forum where it will hang for a long time

If you don't have the time I will do it if you don't mind?

Don

[garlicmilkshake]

48. I'm glad that sucker is 93,000,288 miles away!

:D

[pleah]

49. K&R Wow

[Poll_Blind]

51. The sun freaks the shit out of me.

PB

[krispos42]

52. I'm sorry, these pictures are all fake.

Just ask the fundies...

One of the most basic laws in the universe is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. This states that as time goes by, entropy in an environment will increase. Evolution argues differently against a law that is accepted EVERYWHERE BY EVERYONE. Evolution says that we started out simple, and over time became more complex. That just isn't possible: UNLESS there is a giant outside source of energy supplying the Earth with huge amounts of energy. If there were such a source, scientists would certainly know about it.


http://www.smashboards.com/showpost.php?p=1073734&postcount=232

OBVIOUSLY if there was a giant outside source of energy supplying the Earth with huge amounts of energy scientists would have discovered it by now.

:crazy:

[beam me up scottie]

55. WTF?

Believe it or not, you were perfect when you were born. You were obviously healthy if you are posting here today, you hadn't sinned, and were making choices and using your free will, though they were small choices. Unfortunately, later in your life you made some bad choices and now you are a sinner, but remember, God MADE you perfect.

What is wrong with these people?

[OakCliffDem]

53. Kick