NASA snaps Jack-o'-lantern on the face of the sun

On October 8, 2014 active regions on the sun gave it the appearance of a Jack-o'-lantern. This image is a blend of 171 and 193 angstrom light as captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. NASA/GSFC/SDO

The sun seems to be celebrating Halloween a few weeks early by putting on an unusually spooky "face." On Oct. 8, NASA captured the above photo of active regions on the sun that gave it the appearance of a jack-o'-lantern.

NASA explains the phenomenon on its website:

"The active regions appear brighter because those are areas that emit more light and energy -- markers of an intense and complex set of magnetic fields hovering in the sun's atmosphere, the corona. This image blends together two sets of wavelengths at 171 and 193 Angstroms, typically colorized in gold and yellow, to create a particularly Halloween-like appearance."

NASA also posted a photo of the sun in extreme ultraviolet light:

NASA/SDO

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