Day: January 16, 2017

This is a montage of daily images of the Sun as seen through the European Space Agency’s Proba-2 satellite in 2016.

Each image was created from 30 separate images centred on 01:00 GMT each day, which were processed to enhance the features extending from the solar disc.

Throughout 2016 the Sun’s 11 year activity cycle continued towards its minimum, a period when the number of sunspots, active regions, solar flares and eruptions diminish. Nonetheless, the most active region of last year can be seen in the 17 July image. The bright region close to the centre of the Sun produced eight of the 20 most powerful flares witnessed last year.