SDO/HMI: Solar Continuum Intensity Maps at 6173 Å

SDO/HMI Continuum, 45-Second Data provides maps of solar continuum intensity from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument. The data samples the Fe I absorption line at 6173.3 Å to derive estimates for Doppler velocity and continuum intensity. It is produced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyzing solar surface intensity variations based on continuum intensity maps.
• Estimating Doppler velocity for solar dynamics studies based on the Fe I line profile.
• Researching helioseismology and magnetic activity using reconstructed line parameters.
• Modeling solar spectral features based on the Gaussian line profile assumption.

Strengths

• Data originates from the NASA Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument.
• Provides a specific proxy for continuum intensity (Ic) derived from spectral line reconstruction.
• Detailed methodology is referenced in external Stanford documentation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in BIN and HTML formats, which may require specialized tools for analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Spectral sampling of the Fe I absorption line at 6173.3 Å by the HMI instrument.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:56:38.520785; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Solar surface