Articles tagged as Sun | Smithsonian Magazine

A view of the total solar eclipse captured from Donggala, Indonesia.

Parts of the pacific and Indonesia went dark last night as the moon moved directly between Earth and the sun

March 9, 2016

A satellite photo of an almost-finished solar farm near Walt Disney World in Orlando reveals a familiar face.

Future of Energy

The Shifting Shapes of Solar Farms

They’re more than just massive fields of black panels

March 8, 2016

An annular solar eclipse is observed in Yantai, Shandong province, China, January 15, 2010.

Cool Finds

A Solar Eclipse Will Darken Pacific Skies This Week

Though the actual eclipse can only be seen from select locations, don’t miss the live stream of the event online

March 7, 2016

Swirling magnetic waves triggered spectacular explosions on the sun’s surface

January 19, 2016

An artist's rendition of Juno in orbit around Jupiter. The craft is powered entirely by the sun's rays.

Armed with over 18,000 solar cells, the Jupiter orbiter is taking solar-fueled space exploration to new lengths

January 15, 2016

The Northern Hemisphere hasn’t yet cornered the market for glorious aurorae

December 21, 2015

Cool Finds

Watch 30 Minutes of Mesmerizing, Ultra-HD Sun

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory stares at the sun so you don’t have to

November 6, 2015

A solar flare erupts from the Sun in 2012.

New Research

When Will the Next Solar Superflare Hit Earth?

The year 2209 just got a lot scarier

August 17, 2015

Cool Finds

Here’s What the Sun Looks Like Through an X-Ray Telescope

All of the wonder of Earth’s closest star, none of the retinal damage

July 9, 2015

The 7-by-6-foot video wall on view at the National Air and Space Museum closes the 93 million mile gap between the Earth and the Sun.

These Two Scientists Turned Data From the Sun Into a Work of Art

After collecting real-time data from the sun, two astrophysicists got to tinkering with video game components and the outcome is breathtaking

July 8, 2015

A mosaic image shows magnetic activity on the solar disk, which is surrounded by the relatively faint corona.

New Research

A “Mangrove Forest” of Magnetism May Help Heat the Sun’s Corona

New simulations might explain why the sun’s atmosphere is bizarrely millions of degrees hotter than its surface

June 10, 2015

The sun sets on Mars. From June 7 to 21, Mars will be obscured from Earth by the sun, causing a communications blackout.

A conjunction with the sun will cause a two-week pause in commands to NASA Mars missions

June 5, 2015

New Research

In the Future, We Might Take Sunscreen in Pill Form

A discovery in some fish suggests that sunblocking chemicals could be ingested rather than slathered on

May 13, 2015

Cool Finds

Watch the Sun Set on Mars

Curiosity takes its first color pictures of a Martian sunset

May 12, 2015

New Research

The Sun Has Seasons

And you thought it was just “hot”

April 8, 2015

As they orbited the earth, a satellite and an astronaut captured another side of the sun’s disappearing act

March 20, 2015

This image of a Martian sunset was captured in 2005.

Cool Finds

Watch the Sunset from Mars

Opportunity rover helps capture a hauntingly blue view of nightfall on the Red Planet

February 26, 2015

New Research

The Taj Mahal Gardens Have a Special Relationship to the Solstice

On the day the sun climbs the highest in the sky, careful alignments within the gardens and buildings of the beautiful mausoleum appear

February 3, 2015

This image, created by a telescope called NuSTAR, is the most detailed of the sun using high-energy rays to date, according to NASA.

New Research

NASA Uses X-Rays to Find Out Why the Sun Is So Hot

The image will help scientists decide whether mini-flares make the sun’s atmosphere hotter than the surface itself

January 5, 2015

Rub the label to see if the food inside is still good to eat.

A Label You Rub To See If Food Has Expired and Other Finalists for the Dyson Award

There’s also a pen that lets you know when you should reapply your sunscreen and a device called Luke Stairwalker

November 5, 2014