Smithsonian.com

Wouldn't this image of the Sun make a great Christmas ornament? (credit: NASA/SDO)

I was looking at images from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory, the latest satellite to study our star, and was struck by their beauty. SDO records the Sun in several wavelengths, producing gorgeous images of its ever-changing surface. And then I had a great idea: wouldn’t these make fabulous ornaments for the Christmas tree? Sadly, I lack the artistic talent to make that happen, but with the wealth of amazing imagery of the Sun and other objects in our solar system that has become available in recent years, this seems like a grand opportunity for some talented person to create a unique Christmas tree.

Why was I looking at SDO imagery? Well, the pictures are simply wonderful (I even downloaded the 3D Sun App for my phone), but there was also a magazine-related reason: the magazine’s next collector’s edition is Mysteries of the Universe, and one of the stories is about SDO and the Sun. Check it out; the special issue goes on sale at newsstands and bookstores next week.