The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) is a NASA mission designed to study activity on the sun, learn what drives that activity, and explore its impact on space weather, which can ultimately result in dramatic geomagnetic storms on Earth.
In particular, SDO is seeking to discover the secrets of the sun's magnetic field. For example, how does the sun generate a dynamo effect to produce its magnetic field? What structure does the magnetic field take as it emanates from the sun's surface, known as the photosphere? How is the magnetic field reflected in the sun's 11-year cycle of activity? And how does the energy carried within the sun's magnetic field ultimately transform into the energy that drives charged particles in the solar wind?
