THE bright blip at the left of this image could mean there鈥檚 a storm
brewing on the Sun. The blip marks a region of intense ultraviolet radiation
caused by a sudden release of magnetic energy, and it may signal the beginning
of a new cycle of solar activity. High levels of solar UV radiation expand the
Earth鈥檚 upper atmosphere and can have other effects, such as altering the orbit
of some satellites.
This high resolution image was taken by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging
Telescope (EIT), one of a dozen telescopes aboard the Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory (SOHO). Brighter speckles on the image indicate other strong blasts
of UV radiation associated with the Sun鈥檚 magnetic field. Unlike previous
instruments, the EIT can take multiple images and allow astronomers to
study the
evolution of solar structures. 鈥淏asically, we have a video camera in space,鈥�
says Joseph Gurman, at NASA鈥檚 Goddard Space Flight Center. 鈥淚t gives us a
better
understanding of solar activities.鈥�