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Image artifacts

Not everything visible in STEREO images is related to the Sun or the solar atmosphere. Some features are caused by the telescope optics, the cameras used to capture the images, or how the STEREO spacecraft are operated. These features can be quite confusing, and require some explanation. Below we outline some of the common non-solar features which appear in the images.

• Beacon data
• Stars, planets, and comets
• Background subtraction
• Cosmic rays
• Debris
• Camera defects
• Spacecraft rolls
• Internal reflections
• Corrupted and blank images

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