Released by NASA this week were some of the first pictures to be taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

This hefty satellite weighing in at 3 ton was launched in Florida 10 weeks ago as part of a 5 year plan to develop a better scientific understanding of the Sun and its influence on the Earth.

The magnificent images show never before seen detail of extreme close-ups of the surface and material flying out from sunspots, and has also made the first high resolution measurements of solar flares in a broad range of extreme ultraviolet wavelengths.

The imaging assembly contains four telescopes designed to be sensitive at different temperatures which will give scientists more information about how heat is transferred across the sun. Another piece of equipment, called the Helioseismic & Magnetic Imager will look into the interior of the sun to track solar storms from their beginning deep inside to the violent eruptions that take place on the surface.

If you want to see more images then take a look at the film clip below for some impressive shots.