Why does the Sun look yellow when we take a photo? Our star emits light of all colors, but our eyes, or in this case the camera, only the brightest, which is yellow, reaches our eyes. Scientists have developed various instruments to be able to observe the light of other wavelengths that the Sun emits and we are not able to appreciate. These data provideinformation about the structure and components of the Sun, and allow us to get an idea of the complexity and constant changes that the star undergoes.
For example, blue-green light of 5,500 Angstroms usually comes from materials that are on the surface of the Sun at temperatures of 5,700 ° C. On the other hand, ultraviolet light of 94 Angstroms comes from atoms that are more than 6 millions of degrees, and it is very useful for studying solar flares. In this way, scientists use light of different wavelengths to study the Sun’s atmosphere, its magnetosphere, the particles that move across its surface, and the evolution of heat and solar flares.
This photograph shows a collage of images obtained by the different devices of NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. There, thesolar telescopesThey capture information and process it in two different ways. On the one hand,spectrometers analyze multiple wavelengths simultaneously, and in this way we can get an idea of the temperature ranges presented by the materials of the Sun. On the other hand, astronomers use other instruments to exclusively analyze the light of a particular wavelength and analyze a specific part of the atmosphere solar. Thanks to these images, today we know much more about what happens in our distant star.
If you like photographs of nebulae, stars, constellations, etc., don’t miss our Photogallery: The photo of the day from space
