This collage of images taken in the 284 Angstrom wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light shows the Sun as it changed through almost two complete solar cycles. A solar activity cycle lasts 11 years on average. During a solar cycle the number of sunspots and level of solar activity dramatically rise and fall in a bell-shaped curve. The change is being driven by the gradual reversal of the Sun's magnetic field during that 11-year cycle. The brighter areas in the extreme ultraviolet correspond to areas of strong magnetic field. The remarkable record of long-term observations by SOHO has significantly advanced our understanding of the Sun's processes.

Downloads

• Full-size image [JPG, 210K]
• Medium-size image [JPG, 22K]
• Hi-resolution size image [TIF, 3.5M]