Solar Vision

Par

To the unaided eye the Sun appears to be a tranquil sphere of light. But there's more to the Sun than meets the eye. By looking at specific parts of the Sun's spectrum we can see different kinds of activity. Ultraviolet light, visible light, x-rays: each shows us a different part of the Sun and its processes. For example, the Sun's photosphere produces most of the light we see on Earth, while its corona produces X-rays that can only be seen with special instruments on board spacecraft that orbit above our atmosphere. In this game you will try to match solar features using a variety of wavelengths just like scientists do when they study our star. You can also see how the sun changes as it moves through the solar cycle, from solar maximum to solar minimum. Can you see why it's also called the "sunspot cycle"?