New images of the sun show its surface in the finest detail yet
Scientists have captured the highest-resolution images of the sun's surface to date using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. The images reveal feathery patterns caused by magnetized plasma, providing new insights into solar activity that can impact Earth's communications.
Why it matters
Understanding solar behavior is critical for protecting global infrastructure, such as GPS and power grids, from the effects of solar storms.
NEW YORK — Scientists have captured images of the sun's surface in the finest detail yet, revealing a strange and dynamic facade.
It's dangerous to look directly at the sun without proper eye protection.
But researchers were able to peek at its scorching surface with the help of the National Science Foundation's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii.
Scientists originally took the images for a different reason: To fine-tune and test the limits of the telescope.
But when they looked at the results, they realised they'd photographed the sun's bright outer shell at higher resolution than ever before.
What's more, they saw strange feathery patterns rippling across the surface.
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