Scientists reveal most-detailed-ever view of the sun's surface - livescience.com
Scientists using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have captured high-resolution images of the sun's surface, revealing tiny whirlpools known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. This 150-year-old predicted phenomenon may help explain why the sun's atmosphere is significantly hotter than its surface.
Why it matters
Understanding solar atmospheric heating is a fundamental challenge in astrophysics that could improve our ability to predict space weather and its impact on Earth's technology.
For the first time, scientists have directly observed a 150-year-old predicted phenomenon on the sun's surface that could explain why the sun's atmosphere is far hotter than its surface.
By Olivia Maule Edited by Brandon Specktor , Laura Mondrag n Published 6 August 2026 In News When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's how it works .
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