A
mild-looking sun still radiates ultraviolet light in this image taken by the Solar
and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) on Sept. 17.
The
SOHO spacecraft uses its Extreme ultraviolet
Imaging Telescope (EIT) to monitor the sun's activity. The sun is currently
sitting at the lowest
ebb of an 11-year cycle of activity, which means that sunspots and solar
flares become rarer.
However,
the spacecraft also sits in a prime location between the sun and the Earth for spotting
comets as they slowly disintegrate in orbit around the sun. SOHO imaged its
1,500th comet in late June.
— ESA/NASA/SOHO and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: ESA/NASA/SOHO
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