Sun and Corona in X-rays (IMAGE) Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian Caption This photograph of the sun, taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, shows how image processing techniques developed at SAO can reveal the faint, inner corona. At the sun's limb, prominences larger than the Earth arc into space. Bright active regions like the one on the Sun's face at lower center are often the source of huge eruptions known as coronal mass ejections. Credit NASA/LMSAL/SAO Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.