Image credits: Soft xray images courtesy of the Yohkoh Science Team. Average sunspot curves constructed from daily sunspot numbers provided by the Space Environment Laboratory, NOAA. Eclipse photographs and SMM coronagraph image form the archives of the High Altitude Observatory, NCAR.
- The corona dramatically reflects the changes in the surface magnetic field configuration during the solar cycle.
- Top row of xray images were taken approximately 10 months apart during the descending phase of solar cycle 22. The times of the images are indicated by red dots along the sunspot curve in the center.
- Note the overall decrease in xray intensity with the solar cycle.
- Eclipse photographs are displayed in the bottom row spanning 1966-1988 along with an SMM image of the corona. The times of the images are indicated by the blue dots along the sunspot curve in the center.
- The corona collapses down to a belt of streamers around the equator during solar minimum. It expands out to cover all regions with sunspot activity during solar maximum (see image #2).
- These images indicate a massive reconfiguration of the corona over the solar cycle.
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