NASA’s photo shows the sun “smiling” like in your childhood drawings

Take a moment to remember how you drew the sun when you were little. I would often add a smiling face to it, so I was absolutely thrilled to see NASA’s latest photo of the “smiling” sun.

Some say it looks like Mr. Stay-Puft from Ghostbusters, I see it as a friendly smiling face… And of course, NASA explains in a way more scientific manner what it is that we see here.

This photo was taken on 26 October by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. “Seen in ultraviolet light, these dark patches on the Sun are known as coronal holes and are regions where fast solar wind gushes out into space,” NASA writes on Twitter.

Say cheese! 📸

Today, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory caught the Sun "smiling." Seen in ultraviolet light, these dark patches on the Sun are known as coronal holes and are regions where fast solar wind gushes out into space. pic.twitter.com/hVRXaN7Z31

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) October 26, 2022

Psychologically speaking, we see the smiling face in this photo as a result of pareidolia. It’s a normal human tendency to “perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern.” Pareidolia or not, this “smiling face” put a smile on my face today, and I hope it will do the same for you.

[via Science Alert]