Space & Astronomy

Sun 'smiles' like a pumpkin in this NASA image

By T.K. Randall
October 31, 2019 ·  1 comment

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) The seasonally appropriate photograph, which was taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) satellite back in October 2014, shows our solar neighbor as it appears when viewed in ultraviolet light.

The 'mouth' and 'eyes' of the pumpkin-like face are active regions on the Sun's surface.

"This image blends together two sets of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths at 171 and 193 Angstroms, typically colorized in gold and yellow, to create a particularly Halloween-like appearance," NASA wrote.The photograph is not the only spooky image to have been posted up by the space agency this week, a few days ago NASA also released an image of a ghoulish face comprised of two colliding galaxies.

Both are good examples of pareidolia - the tendency for the human brain to see meaningful shapes in otherwise abstract patterns.

Some of the space agency's staff also took part in a (mostly) space-themed pumpkin carving competition. You can check out some of their creations below.

Scientists & engineers at @NASAJPL + #Halloween2019 = a pumpkin-carving contest where the solar system's the limit! 🎃
Watch: https://t.co/ZV5EyMNLeV
More photos: https://t.co/ppqkWJgVkW pic.twitter.com/CpHU4wTJtG

— NASA, but Sp🕸️🕸️ky (@NASA) October 31, 2019

Source: Sky News | Comments (1)

Tags: Sun, Halloween