The Sun's Surface 'First Photo'... Clues to Solar Storms

The United States National Science Foundation (NSF) has released for the first time images of the solar surface captured through the Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii.

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Junho] Photos capturing the surface of the Sun have been revealed for the first time. The Sun, located 150 million km away, was photographed through a solar telescope. The images show a continuous series of explosions, appearing as if firestorms are embedded like cells. It is expected that by observing the space weather caused by these explosions, the impact on Earth can be understood.

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) released photos of the Sun’s surface taken on the 29th (local time) through the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii, the largest solar telescope in the world.

Continuous Explosions on the Surface of the Sun

The sun emitting solar wind. (Source=NASA promotional video)

The Sun’s surface in these photos at first glance looks like land cracked by drought. However, what appears to be cracked land is actually flames caused by explosions. The Sun is a massive reactor burning about 5 million tons of hydrogen fuel every second, and these photos capture the details of those explosions. The U.S. news channel CNN described the scene as "The surface of the Sun is rough and hot. We can now see it in very fine detail."

Observing the Sun’s surface is extremely important research material for scientists. The NSF stated, "Structures resembling cells about the size of Texas symbolize the intense movements transferring heat from inside the Sun to its surface," adding, "This will provide an opportunity to understand if there are any patterns in the turbulent explosions covering the entire Sun." The plasma of the Sun rises from the bright centers of the explosions in the photos, cools, and then settles down along the darker lanes.

Clues to Solar Storms

▲Solar System. [Source=NASA]

The research team expects these photos to greatly aid in observing solar storms. By mapping the magnetic fields caused by solar explosions, space weather originating from the Sun can be monitored.

Solar storms refer to explosions on the Sun’s surface that generate extremely powerful energy waves. These energy waves from solar storms can be detected on Earth as auroras but can also cause satellite communication disruptions, radio wave interference, power grid outages, and GPS failures.

Thomas Rimmele, head of the Inouye Solar Telescope, said, "Everything is about magnetic fields," and added, "To solve the Sun’s greatest mysteries, we plan to measure and track the strength and direction of magnetic fields near the Sun’s surface with very high precision."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.