Sun's swirling surface captured in spectacular detail by world's largest solar telescope
Astronomers have used the world's largest solar telescope to capture high-resolution imagery of the Sun's surface, revealing previously unseen physical processes. These observations, including the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, may help scientists understand solar phenomena like the corona's heat and solar flares.
Why it matters
Advancements in solar observation are critical for predicting space weather, which can impact satellite communications and power grids on Earth.
The most detailed view of the Sun's swirling surface to date has been captured in images and video by the world's largest solar telescope.
The imagery allows astronomers to study solar phenomena they have never seen before, and may help explain why the Sun's corona is so extraordinarily hot.
Future observations of the Sun will eventually help scientists predict space weather like solar flares.
Link copied Share Share article The Sun's surface is constantly churning with hot, glowing plasma.
Those swirling eddies play a huge role in the Sun's occasional violent outbursts, but they're difficult to see because it is so bright.
Now astronomers have used the world's largest solar telescope to capture the highest-resolution imagery ever taken of our star's roiling surface.
It shows a section of the Sun about 5,000 by 3,500 kilometres in size: a zone that, on Earth, could comfortably enclose mainland Australia.
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