Seeing the Invisible

To unlock the Sun’s secrets, scientists must find ways to see what is invisible to the human eye. The Sun radiates energy in wavelengths, most of which are outside the visible spectrum. For example, the Sun’s photosphere produces most of the light we see, while its corona produces X-rays that can only be seen with special instruments. Each type of radiation carries different information about the Sun’s chemistry and magnetic field.

More images: To explore an image of the sun in different frequencies using a java applet, click here.