Since 2010, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has had virtually unbroken coverage of the sun’s rise toward solar maximum, the peak of solar activity in its regular 11-year cycle. This video shows those three years of the sun at a pace of two images per day.

There are several noteworthy events that appear briefly in this video, including a partial eclipse by the moon, a roll maneuver, a large flare, the comet Lovejoy, and a transit of Venus.

Happy Friday!