A new image of the sun, captured by the world’s largest solar telescope, has the surface of our nearest star with an unprecedented level of detail, illuminating its flaming complexity.
The image is the first obtained by the solar telescope Daniel K. Inouye of the US National Science Foundation using its new visible visible filter (VTF). This instrument is able to build a three -dimensional view of what is happening on the solar surface.
The image reveals a group of continents -sized sunscreens located near the center of the inner atmosphere of the sun, with a scale of 10 kilometers per pixel.
These spots mark areas of intense magnetic activity, where solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMES) are likely to occur. CMES are large clouds of ionized gas and magnetic fields that rise from the outer atmosphere of the sun.
Detailed images like this, captured in December, are fundamental for scientists to learn and predict the solar climate potentially dangerous.
In an interview with CNNFriedrich Woeger, a scientist at the solar Inouye telescope program, highlighted the importance of understanding the physical factors that drive these phenomena and how they can impact technology and everyday life.
Continues after advertising
Solar events have demonstrated the ability of solar phenomena to damage essential infrastructures such as electrical networks and satellite communication systems.
The sun goes through 11 -year -old magnetic activity cycles, and in October, scientists announced that the sun reached the peak of activity, known as solar maxim. During this period, the magnetic poles of the sun are reversed and more solar spots appear on its surface.
With solar maximum expected to last several months, the solar Inouye telescope is intensifying its instrument tests with spectacular images of the dynamic surface of the sun.
Continues after advertising
Located at the top of the Haleakalā volcano in Maui, solar telescope Daniel K. Inouye represents a decade of technological development.
The VTF, which occupies several floors of the telescope, was designed and built by the Institute of Solar Physics of Germany. The instrument components were sent through the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and then mounted at the telescope site.
The team expects the VTF to be fully operational and ready for use by 2026, allowing a deeper understanding of our sun and its turbulent climate patterns.
