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Solar Dynamics Observatory
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
Take a look at an erupting solar prominence as observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite on March 30, 2010
Study a solar flare in different wavelengths of light as observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, April 8, 2010
full-disk multiwavelength extreme ultraviolet image of the Sun
Study the sequence of images depicting the magnetic field structure on the surface of the Sun as captured by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager
solar flare and shock wave in Sun's atmosphere
Study the zoomed-in view of a large sunspot group taken by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, March 29, 2010
Study the magnetic fields in a sunspot pair as observed by the Helioseismic Magnetic Imager, March 29, 2010
Observe a dopplergram showing the velocity of solar material in the photosphere captured by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager
Quizzes
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
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Solar Dynamics Observatory

United States satellite
Also known as: SDO
Written by
Erik Gregersen
Erik Gregersen is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica, specializing in the physical sciences and technology. Before joining Britannica in 2007, he worked at the University of Chicago Press on the...
Erik Gregersen
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), U.S. satellite designed to study the Sun. It was launched on February 11, 2010, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, by an Atlas V rocket into a geosynchronous orbit. SDO is the first satellite in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Living with a Star program, which studies space weather—that is, the effects of solar activity on Earth’s magnetosphere. SDO carries three instruments: the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly...

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