Solar Dynamics Observatory
The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a
NASA mission which has been observing the
Sun since 2010. Launched on February 11, 2010, the observatory is part of the
Living With a Star (LWS) program. The goal of the LWS program is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to effectively address those aspects of the connected
Sun–
Earthsystem directly affecting life and society. The goal of the SDO is to understand the influence of the Sun on the Earth and near-Earth space by studying the solar atmosphere on small scales of space and time and in many wavelengths simultaneously. SDO has been investigating how the
Sun’s magnetic field is generated and structured, how this stored magnetic energy is converted and released into the
heliosphere and
geospace in the form of
solar wind, energetic particles, and variations in the
solar irradiance