NASA's Illuminate Series (2025)

  • Released Tuesday, February 11, 2025
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NASA's Illuminate is a video series about out-of-this-world images that shine light on our Sun and solar system.

A Kaleidoscope Sun

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has been watching the Sun for 15 years — and this spacecraft sees much more than meets the eye!

SDO’s 10 imaging channels capture visible, ultraviolet, and extreme ultraviolet light, helping scientists study solar material at a range of different temperatures. Together, they reveal a prismatic picture of our ever-changing star.

Video Credit: NASA/Lacey Young

Music Credit: “Awakening” by Nicholas Smith [PRS] via Universal Production Music

Find the source imagery here.

Why Are Auroras Colorful?

Ever wonder why auroras look so colorful? When energetic particles from space collide with atoms and molecules in Earth’s upper atmosphere, they release tiny specks of light that we see as auroras. Watch this short video to learn more.

Video Credit: NASA/Beth Anthony

Music credit: “Clair De Lune Lofi” by Claude Debussy [DP], Sol Terrae [PRS] via Universal Production Music

Aurora imagery provided by: Neil Zeller Photography, used with permission

Additional graphics: vecteezy.com

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
This page was last updated on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 11:50 AM EST.

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