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This image combines a picture of the visible surface of the Sun
(the photosphere), with contours of the vertical component of the magnetic field (Bz).
Intensity levels are ±10, 40, 400, 700, and 1000 Gauss (G). (The strength of the
Earth's magnetic field at the surface is about 1/2 G.) Tick marks on the image
represent the direction of the horizontal component of the field (Bt) for field
strengths which are above 150 G.
This image is from an H-alpha telescope which rides
"piggy-back" on the vector magnetograph's telescope. The H-alpha images view the
Sun in a different color than the vector magnetograph and provide additional information
on the orientation of the sunspots' magnetic field. Also, since solar flares are very
rarely observed in the light which originates on the visible surface of the Sun, observing
in the light of H-alpha allows scientists to view solar flares as they occur.
MORE vector magnetograms: Directories are designated by the day, month, and year (yyyymmdd) and filenames correspond to NOAA active region number.
For lists of available data prior to and including 1997, and to request data press here.
Return to MSFC Solar Physics Branch homepage.