Window in Front of SDO's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Changes Shape (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Window in Front of SDO's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Changes Shape

Caption

During an eclipse, lack of heat from the sun causes the window in front of SDO’s Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) to change shape. This causes a blurry image for about 45 minutes after Earth finishes its transit across the sun, as shown on the left. The right half shows HMI data at its usual high resolution, data which helps scientists observe sunspots and their magnetic characteristics.

Credit

NASA/SDO/HMI

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