Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2023 February 22
    [2]The Sun is pictured in a color that allows high detail. The large
      orange ball has several bright streaks and a carpet-like texture.
      Several prominences are visible around the edges. Please see the
                 explanation for more detailed information.

                         Our Increasingly Active Sun
                  Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Mehmet Ergün

   Explanation: Our Sun is becoming a busy place. Only two years ago, the
   Sun was emerging from a [4]solar minimum so quiet that [5]months would
   go by [6]without even a single [7]sunspot. In contrast, already this
   year and well ahead of schedule, our Sun is [8]unusually active,
   already nearing solar activity levels seen a decade ago during the last
   [9]solar maximum. Our increasingly active Sun was captured two weeks
   ago sporting numerous [10]interesting features. [11]The image was
   recorded in a single color of light called [12]Hydrogen Alpha,
   color-inverted, and false colored. [13]Spicules carpet much of the
   Sun's face. The brightening towards the Sun's edges is caused by
   increased absorption of relatively cool solar gas and called [14]limb
   darkening. Just [15]outside the Sun's disk, several scintillating
   [16]prominences protrude, while prominences on the Sun's face are known
   as [17]filaments and show as light streaks. Magnetically tangled
   [18]active regions are both dark and light and contain cool
   [19]sunspots. As our [20]Sun's magnetic field winds toward solar
   maximum over the next few years, whether the [21]Sun's high activity
   will continue to increase is unknown.

                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([36]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [37]Specific rights apply.
              [38]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC,
                         [42]NASA Science Activation
                           & [43]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2302/SunHalphaC_Ergun_2065.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/mehmet.erguen/
   4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_minimum
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190306.html
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190715.html
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150629.html
   8. https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2023/02/04/sunspot-counts-hit-their-highest-level-in-9-years/
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_maximum
  10. https://miro.medium.com/max/2400/1*Bp1dNLfyDjH2QCgALi-BrQ.jpeg
  11. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=745237160282433&set=a.220016599471161
  12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-alpha
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/scientists-uncover-origins-of-the-sun-s-swirling-spicules
  14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limb_darkening
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220302.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150125.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220913.html
  18. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/sdo-shows-active-regions-across-front-of-sun
  19. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/solar-activity/en/
  20. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/suns-magnetic-field-portrayed
  21. https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2023/02/04/sunspot-counts-hit-their-highest-level-in-9-years/
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230221.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  31. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230222
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230223.html
  33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  42. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  43. http://www.mtu.edu/