TOPSHOTS = RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE / MANDATORY CREDIT: "AFP PHOTO HANDOUT-NASA/STEREO"/ NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS / DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS=
TOPSHOTS This NASA image of the sun obtained July 17, 2015 was taken on July 15, 2015, with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager onboard NASA's Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Ahead (STEREO-A) spacecraft, which collects images in several wavelengths of light that are invisible to the human eye. This image shows the sun in wavelengths of 171 angstroms, which are typically colorized in blue. STEREO-A has been on the far side of the sun since March 24, where it had to operate in safe mode, collecting and saving data from its radio instrument. The first images in over three months were received from STEREO-A on July 11, 2015. The three-month safe mode period was necessary because of the geometry between Earth, the sun, and STEREO-A. STEREO-A orbits the sun as Earth does, but in a slightly smaller and faster orbit. AFP PHOTO/NASA/STEREO = RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE / MANDATORY CREDIT: "AFP PHOTO HANDOUT-NASA/STEREO"/ NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS / DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS