Today is the Winter Solstice for 1996. The Earth is actually closer to the Sun during this season, a fact not usually appreciated by those who dwell on the planet's Northern half . Two days ago, the EIT camera onboard the SOHO spacecraft recorded this image of the Sun in the light of highly ionized Iron atoms . This extreme ultraviolet picture emphasizes magnetic field lines and active regions in the hot plasma above the solar surface. For today's Solar images at many wavelengths, check out the Solar Data Analysis Center's web site.
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