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NASA's latest stunning images of sun (photos)

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory is a sun-pointing semi-autonomous spacecraft that allows nearly continuous observations of the sun. Check out its latest snapshots.

James Martin Managing Editor, Photography
James Martin is the Managing Editor of Photography at CNET. His photos capture technology's impact on society - from the widening wealth gap in San Francisco, to the European refugee crisis and Rwanda's efforts to improve health care. From the technology pioneers of Google and Facebook, photographing Apple's Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Google's Sundar Pichai, to the most groundbreaking launches at Apple and NASA, his is a dream job for any documentary photography and journalist with a love for technology. Exhibited widely, syndicated and reprinted thousands of times over the years, James follows the people and places behind the technology changing our world, bringing their stories and ideas to life.
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Chromosphere, Transition region. NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)

Its mission is science, but since NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) was launched in 2010, it's been sending some just-plain stunning images of the sun back to Earth. The SDO spacecraft is the first mission launched for NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) Program, designed to understand the sun's influence on Earth.
Using Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, EUV Variability Experiment, and a Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, the semi-autonomous spacecraft gives scientists a nearly constant ability to watch our star.
Check out some of the latest colorful multiwavelength images returned this week from the orbiting Solar Dynamics Observatory.
Chromosphere, Transition region. NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)
This image taken by SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument at the 171 angstrom wavelength shows the current conditions of the quiet corona and upper transition region of the sun.
This image taken by SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument at the 171 angstrom wavelength shows the current conditions of the quiet corona and upper transition region of the sun. NASA/The Solar Dynamics Observatory
Composite image taken from SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument at the 211, 193, and 171 angstrom wavelengths.
Composite image taken from SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument at the 211, 193, and 171 angstrom wavelengths NASA/The Solar Dynamics Observatory
Image taken by SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument at the 94 angstrom wavelength.
Image taken by SDO's Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument at the 94 angstrom wavelength. NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory
This image was taken by SDOs Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument at the 4,500 angstrom wavelength, giving it a more realistic look to humans.  The human eye is sensitive to wavelengths from about 4,000 to 7,000 angstroms.
This image was taken by SDOs Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument at the 4,500 angstrom wavelength, giving it a more realistic look to humans. The human eye is sensitive to wavelengths from about 4,000 to 7,000 angstroms. NASA/Solar Dynamic Observatory