The Sun determines much of our lives. It’s the brightness of daytime as our slice of Earth faces the life-giving star, and the calmness of nightfall as we turn away. But, beyond the presence of light or the day’s temperature, we aren’t really aware of what the star is doing up there, or how it looks. NASA‘s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is, 24-hours a day.

Recently, the SDO put together stunning, ultra-high definition video of the Sun in ten different wavelengths, each of which highlight a different temperature of solar material. According to NASA’s Goddard Media Studio, “Different temperatures can, in turn, show specific structures on the Sun such as solar flares, which are gigantic explosions of light and x-rays, or coronal loops, which are streams of solar material traveling up and down looping magnetic field lines.” 

With trippy accompanying music by German musician Lars Leonhard, the above video is worth your attention even if you’re not a science buff. The Sun up close is a mesmerizing sight that reminds us how little we are, and how there’s so much more in the universe that is left to understand.

If you’re keen to dive deeper, you can subscribe to NASA’S Goddard Shorts HD Podcast, which shares the work of NASA’s Goddard Space Center — the largest organization of scientists and engineers dedicated to sharing their knowledge of the universe and beyond.

So, what did you think of the video? Is your mind boggled by space? Do you have a telescope to look at the stars? Let us know in the comments below!

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HT/IMAGE: NASA Goddard