Sun almost every day, and the Earth.

NASA has begun to release high-resolution images based on topographical data gathered by the Space Shuttle almost 2 years ago. First up is a stunning 3-D rendering of California down to a resolution of 30 metres; a 90 metre version available to the public. NASA scientists will continue to process and distribute new maps from the data until the project is complete later this spring - eventually accounting for 80% of the globe.

Astronomers have known for a while that solar activity cycles over a period of 11 years. At the height, solar flares erupt from the surface of the Sun almost every day, and the Earth is bombarded by coronal mass ejections. The most recent Solar Max crested in 2000, but after settling down only briefly, the Sun has roared back again with nearly the same level of activity. It's even brighter in the radio spectrum. This double peak happened during the last Solar Max as well, back in 1989.