Lose yourself in this time lapse of the sun in 2015
Digital Reporter
Saturday, February 13, 2016, 11:58 AM - Whether the skies are clear or not, NASA always has an eye on the distant sun.
The agency's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is actually in orbit around Earth, the better to keep a constant watch on the star at the centre of our solar system. Any time NASA releases a brilliant image of the sun, in one light spectrum or another, you can thank SDO.
Now NASA has released the six-minute video up above: A time lapse of a year in the life of the sun, incorporating footage from all of 2015 and shot in glorious ultra HD. For perspective: Each frame represents two hours.
Its colour is how it appears when viewed in the high ultra-violent radiation range.
But it's not an art project. SDO studies the sun to understand the electromagnetic system responsible for the constant movement on its surface. As far away as it is, the sun still affects our planet.
"Flares and another type of solar explosion called coronal mass ejections can sometimes disrupt technology in space," the agency wrote when it released the video on YouTube.
For something a little closer to home, here's a time lapse of all of Earth's weather systems in 2015:
