Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 December 11 IFRAME: [2]https://www.youtube.com/embed/JqH0diwqcUM?rel=0 Solar Minimum versus Solar Maximum Video Credit: [3]NASA, [4]SDO, [5]SVS Explanation: The surface of our Sun is constantly changing. Some years it is quiet, showing relatively few sunspots and active regions. Other years it is churning, showing many [6]sunspots and throwing frequent [7]Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and [8]flares. Reacting to [9]magnetism, our Sun's surface goes through periods of relative calm, called Solar Minimum and relative unrest, called Solar Maximum, every 11 years. The [10]featured video shows on the left a month in late 2019 when the [11]Sun was near [12]Solar Minimum, while on the right a month in 2014 when near [13]Solar Maximum. The video was taken by NASA's [14]Solar Dynamic Observatory in far [15]ultraviolet light. Our [16]Sun is progressing again toward [17]Solar Maximum in 2025, but displaying even now a surface with a [18]surprisingly high amount of activity. Night Sky Network webinar: [19]APOD editor to review coolest space images of 2023 Tomorrow's picture: double sky arches __________________________________________________________________ [20]< | [21]Archive | [22]Submissions | [23]Index | [24]Search | [25]Calendar | [26]RSS | [27]Education | [28]About APOD | [29]Discuss | [30]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [31]Robert Nemiroff ([32]MTU) & [33]Jerry Bonnell ([34]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [35]Specific rights apply. [36]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC, [40]NASA Science Activation & [41]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://www.youtube.com/embed/JqH0diwqcUM?rel=0 3. https://www.nasa.gov/ 4. https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 5. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230517.html 7. https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/what-coronal-mass-ejection-or-cme/ 8. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180902.html 9. https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-understanding-the-magnetic-sun/ 10. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13714/ 11. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/menu/sun/ 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191028.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071203.html 14. https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 15. https://science.nasa.gov/ems/10_ultravioletwaves/ 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun 17. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/solar-cycle-25-is-here-nasa-noaa-scientists-explain-what-that-means/ 18. https://images.pexels.com/photos/7140633/pexels-photo-7140633.jpeg 19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S00SNpSNKZo 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231210.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 26. https://apod.com/feed.rss 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 29. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=231211 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap231212.html 31. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 32. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 33. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 34. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 36. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 38. https://www.nasa.gov/ 39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 41. http://www.mtu.edu/