Studying the Sun with AI

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

 
Video imagery:

·Time lapse - 10 years of Solar Dynamics Observatory AIA 171 angstrom data: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

·Sun video: Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA

·Sun video: Solar Dynamics Observatory, NASA

·Graphic of corrected Sun images: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio  

Writer: Leah Ramsay
Designer: Leah Hustak 
Science review: Dr. Quyen Hart
Education review: Jim Manning
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Several colorful images of galaxies in space.

 

A white line travels between images and extends to text, News from the universe.

 

Bright yellow Sun rotates surrounded by a flickering halo.

 

July 28, 2021, Studying the sun with A.I., Solar Dynamics Observatory.

 

Scientists are using artificial intelligence to improve solar research.

 

Long-term observation of the Sun degrades telescope instruments, so computers are used to make up the difference and produce high-quality data.

 

Image of Sun zooms in to show spots of flares.

 

New, one-time-only images are taken from sounding rockets for comparison, but that can only be done occasionally.

 

Series of three images labeled Uncorrected Channel and another three images labeled Corrected Channel, Both series with years 2011, 2014, and 2021, In Uncorrected Channel, image of Sun begins to dim through the years, where in the Corrected Channel, the sun stays the same brightness level.

 

Text, After comparing enough fresh and degraded data, computer algorithms could accurately predict how to calibrate an image to make up for damage to the telescope.

 

The new A.I. technique allows constant, accurate solar observation -- crucial to understanding our solar system and predicting potentially harmful solar flares.

 

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This news was brought to you in part by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD.