itsfullofstars: Equinox and the Iron SunCredit: NASA / Goddard / SDO AIA Team  Explanation: Today, the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south at 03:09 Universal Time. Known as an equinox, this astronomical event marks the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the south. Equinox means equal night. With the Sun on the celestial equator, Earth dwellers will experience nearly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Of course, in the north the days continue to grow shorter, the Sun marching lower in the sky as winter approaches. To celebrate the equinox, consider this view of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light from the Sun staring Solar Dynamics Observatory. Recorded yesterday, the false-color image shows emission from highly ionized iron atoms. Loops and arcs trace the glowing plasma suspended in magnetic fields above solar active regions. Somehow these moments of cosmic synergy make legislative deadlock, deficit spending, and geopolitics seem so insignificant, at least until we turn on the news.  View high resolution

itsfullofstars:

Equinox and the Iron Sun
Credit: NASA / Goddard / SDO AIA Team 

Explanation: Today, the Sun crosses the celestial equator heading south at 03:09 Universal Time. Known as an equinox, this astronomical event marks the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere and spring in the south. Equinox means equal night. With the Sun on the celestial equator, Earth dwellers will experience nearly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Of course, in the north the days continue to grow shorter, the Sun marching lower in the sky as winter approaches. To celebrate the equinox, consider this view of the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light from the Sun staring Solar Dynamics Observatory. Recorded yesterday, the false-color image shows emission from highly ionized iron atoms. Loops and arcs trace the glowing plasma suspended in magnetic fields above solar active regions.

Somehow these moments of cosmic synergy make legislative deadlock, deficit spending, and geopolitics seem so insignificant, at least until we turn on the news. 

(Reblogged from theatlantic)

Notes

  1. wikkabokka reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  2. laravicious reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  3. louiebuana reblogged this from itsfullofstars and added:
    Lord; (QS Luqman:029) Seest thou not that Allah merges Night into Day...he merges Day into...
  4. speshal-k reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  5. evralastingnoun reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  6. marcklouise reblogged this from alegaspii
  7. thewolfpeople reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  8. nelzjo reblogged this from scarlet--heroine
  9. scarlet--heroine reblogged this from imaginenoheaven
  10. enterhereforsquares reblogged this from imaginenoheaven
  11. imaginenoheaven reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  12. itsalljustinmymind reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  13. lightningbaron reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  14. ragnell reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  15. staticeverywhere reblogged this from itsfullofstars
  16. alegaspii reblogged this from a-shameless-kid
  17. two-impostors reblogged this from theatlantic
  18. hi-brizil reblogged this from canisfamiliaris