Compare Multispectral Sun Images

This interactive viewer allows you to compare images of the Sun side-by-side. The images were taken with light of different colors or wavelengths, including some from the infrared (IR) or ultraviolet (UV) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, which our eyes cannot see.

  • Choose a time from the first popup menu: the peak of the sunspot cycle (Solar Max), the low point in solar activity (Solar Min), or the most recent image.
  • Pick a color (wavelength) for the left-hand image. The choices include colors of visible light as well as wavelengths of ultraviolet and infrared.
  • Select a different color (wavelength) for the right-hand image.
  • Then compare the features you can see in the two images. Areas of the Sun that have less light at the wavelength you selected will appear dark. Areas of the Sun that have more light at the wavelength you selected appear bright. 

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