Browse Archive

  • Aurora as seen in Marquette, Michigan on May 18, 2013.

    Auroras Visible in Continental U.S.

    05.20.13 - Coronal mass ejections that accompanied X-class flares early last week, arrived at Earth over the weekend and sparked a geomagnetic storm and aurora.

  • three side-by-side SDO images showing May 12-13 solar flares

    Three X-class Solar Flares in 24 Hours

    05.14.13 - The sun's third significant solar flare in under 24 hours -- and the strongest so far of 2013 -- peaked at 9:11 p.m. EDT on May 13, 2013.

    › Impacts of Strong Flares
  • image sequence of May 2012 annular eclipse, via Wikimedia Commons/Brocken Inaglory

    Solar Eclipse on May 10

    05.10.13 - On May 10, 2013, Earth, the sun and the moon lined up to create a solar eclipse visible from the South Pacific.

  • A NASA Terrier Improved Orion sounding rocket leaves the launch pad.

    Second and Third Sounding Rockets Launched from the Marshall Islands

    05.07.13 - The Equatorial Vortex Experiment was successfully conducted on May 7 from the Marshall Islands when a NASA Terrier-Oriole sounding rocket was launched followed by the launch of a Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket 90 seconds later.

  • SDO image of a solar flare on 3 May 2013

    Sun Emits Mid-Level Flare

    05.03.13 - The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare on May 3. Large enough flares can disrupt radio signals, but this flare's "blackout" has already subsided.

  • MOSC released a Samarium vapor creating a red cloud of charged particles in the ionosphere.

    First of Four Sounding Rockets Launched from the Marshall Islands

    05.01.13 - A NASA sounding rocket supporting a study of ionosphere and its impact on radio transmissions was launched at 3:38 a.m. EDT, May 1 from Roi-Namur, Republic of the Marshall Islands.

  • SOHO captured this image of a coronal mass ejection escaping the sun on the morning of April 25, 2013, at 6:00 a.m. EDT.

    The Sun Sends Two CMEs Toward Mercury

    04.25.13 - On the night of April 24 and the morning of April 25, 2013, the sun erupted with two coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar phenomena that can send billions of tons of solar particles into space.

  • The EVEX (Equatorial Vortex Experiment) team readies the launcher.

    NASA Mission to Study What Disrupts Radio Waves

    04.25.13 - A NASA-funded sounding rocket mission will launch this spring to observe the formation of electrical storms in Earth's upper atmosphere that can negatively affect satellite communication and global positioning signals.

  • SOHO image of a CME

    Three Solar Eruptions in 2 Days

    04.21.13 - The sun erupted three times over April 20 and 21, sending billions of tons of solar particles into space. The eruptions (called CMEs) were not Earth-directed.

  • Aurora as seen in Keller, Washington on April 14, 2013.

    Spring Fling: Sun Emits a Mid-Level Flare

    04.16.13 - The CME impact on April 13 was weak but it still produced high latitude aurora. The sun emitted a mid-level flare, peaking at 3:16 a.m. EDT on April 11, 2013 accompanied by an Earth-directed CME.

  • Aurora, Prudhoe Bay Alaska. March 17, 2013

    Solar Storm Near Earth Caused by Fast CME

    03.17.13 - Friday's fast moving CME has reached Earth and sparked a mild geomagnetic storm. Will higher latitude skies be turned green for St. Patrick's Day?

  • SOHO captured this image of a coronal mass ejection bursting off the left side of the image at 9:25 p.m. EDT on March 12, 2013.

    Sun Spits Out Two CMEs

    03.13.13 - A coronal mass ejection (CME) began at 8:36 p.m. EDT on March 12, 2013, and may pass by three NASA satellites: Spitzer, Kepler and Epoxi. A second CME began at 6:54 a.m. EDT on March 13, 2013 and may pass Earth.

  • On Aug. 31, 2012, a long filament of solar material that had been hovering in the sun's atmosphere erupted into space. This image won second in Wikimedia Commons' Picture of the Year 2012.

    SDO Image is Second in Wikimedia Contest

    03.05.13 - A blended SDO image of an erupting solar filament earned second place in Wikimedia Commons’ “Picture of the Year 2012” contest.

  • Active Region 1678 has grown quickly over a 2 day period, Feb. 19-20, 2013.

    SDO Observes Fast-Growing Sunspot

    02.20.13 - Over the course of Feb. 19-20, 2013, scientist watched a giant sunspot form in under 48 hours.

  • Views over time of the CME release by the sun on Feb. 9, 2013.

    Earth-Directed CME Release by Long Duration Solar Flare

    02.09.13 - A Coronal Mass Ejection was released by a long duration solar flare early on February 9, 2013.