The Sun tracking through the heart of the Milky Way

[Ron Schmit]

I love this time of year; the Sun makes its pass across the Milky Way. You can actually see it in the LASCO C3 Chronograph onboard the SOHO.

If you go to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/) you can see the LASCO view in the CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS frame (the blue window in the middle of the page.) Click the arrow to run the time lapse, and there is the Sun rolling through the Milky Way!

[setnes]

That is very cool! I wouldn't have expected it to be visible like that.

[Dick Jacobson]

Cool, but a little hard to see naked-eye from my back yard!

[Sureshks]

Hi Dick,

Thanks for sharing! Totally makes sense with the Sun about to pass in front of the core region of the Milky Way...

Suresh

[Ron Schmit]

And now the Sun is flying past the Pleiades, with Mercury close behind!

coronagraph_strip.JPG