World's largest solar telescope takes first ultra-detailed image of the sun
A newly released image of the sun captured by the world's largest solar telescope shows the surface of our nearest star in unprecedented detail, shedding light on its fiery complexity.
The image is the first taken by the US National Science Foundation Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope's new Visible Tunable Filter, or VTF. The instrument can build a closer-than-ever, three-dimensional view of what's happening on the sun's surface, according to a news release.
The close-up reveals a cluster of continent-size dark sunspots near the center of the sun's inner atmosphere, at a scale of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) per pixel.
These blemishes mark areas of intense magnetic activity, where solar flares and coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are likely to occur. Coronal mass ejections are large clouds of ionized gas called plasma and magnetic fields that erupt from the sun's outer atmosphere.
Detailed images such as this one, which was taken in early December, pose an important way for scientists to learn about and predict potentially dangerous solar weather, said Friedrich Woeger, the NSF Inouye Solar Telescope instrument program scientist, in an email.
'A solar storm in the 1800s (the Carrington Event) reportedly was so energetic that it caused fires in telegraph stations,' Woeger said. 'We need to understand the physical drivers of these phenomena and how they can affect our technology and ultimately our lives.'
These energetic outbursts from the sun can interact with our planet's own electromagnetic field, causing disturbances to key infrastructure such as electrical power grids and satellite-powered communication networks, he explained.
The sun goes through periods of high and low magnetic activity in an 11-year cycle. In October, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced the sun reached the peak of activity, called the solar maximum. During the peak, the sun's magnetic poles flip, and more sunspots appear on its surface.
The maximum is expected to last for several months, so it's a fitting time for the Inouye Solar Telescope to be ramping up its instrument testing with spectacular images of the sun's dynamic surface.
Like boiling soup on a stove, heat escapes the core of the sun and rises to its surface through fluid motions, said Mark Miesch, a research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. Miesch was not involved in the research.
Sunspots, then, are like 'magnetic plugs,' or tangles in the star's complex magnetic fields that prevent the heat from reaching the surface, Miesch said. For this reason, the sunspots, which emit less light than other areas of the sun, appear darker in images and are cooler than their surroundings. Nevertheless, sunspots are 'still hotter than any oven on Earth,' he added.
The apparent texture of the sun comes from the varying densities and temperatures within its surface, which has layers similar to an onion. By 'tuning' in to different wavelengths, or colors, like a radio tuner, the VTF offers a way to probe these various layers and observe what is happening between them, Miesch said.
In other words, while an image from a personal camera uses light that contains multiple wavelengths at the same time, the VTF, a type of imaging spectro-polarimeter, filters measurable wavelengths one by one.
To accomplish this filtering, the instrument uses an etalon — two glass plates separated by mere microns.
'The principle is not unlike that of noise-canceling headphones: when two waves with similar wavelength(s) travel on the same or an intersecting path, they can interact with each other to either cancel each other out, or they can reinforce each other,' Woeger said. 'Light waves 'trapped' between those two plates interfere, and the distance between the plates selects which exact 'colors' of the light are passed on, and which ones cancel out.'
In just a few seconds, the powerful instrument captures hundreds of images through the different filters and combines them into a three-dimensional snapshot.
Researchers can then use the resulting views to study the temperature, pressure, velocity and magnetic field structure at different layers of the solar atmosphere.
'Seeing those first spectral scans was a surreal moment. This is something no other instrument in the telescope can achieve in the same way,' said Dr. Stacey Sueoka, a senior optical engineer at the National Solar Observatory, in a statement.
The imaging spectro-polarimeter represents a culmination of over a decade's worth of development.
Located at the NSF's National Solar Observatory, at the top of Maui's 10,000-foot (3,000-meter) Haleakalā volcanic mountain, the VTF itself spans multiple stories of the Inouye Solar Telescope.
After the VTF was designed and built by the Institute for Solar Physics in Germany, the instrument's parts were shipped across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and then reassembled — like a 'ship in a bottle,' Woeger said.
The team expects the tool to be fully operational and ready for use by 2026.
'The significance of the technological achievement is such that one could easily argue the VTF is the Inouye Solar Telescope's heart, and it is finally beating at its forever place,' said Dr. Matthias Schubert, a VTF project scientist at the Institute for Solar Physics, in a statement.
The solar telescope is among several other recent efforts by scientists to better understand the sun and its stormy weather patterns, including the Solar Orbiter, a joint mission of the European Space Agency and NASA launched in 2020, and NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the first spacecraft to 'touch' the sun.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
11 hours ago
Coastal communities restoring marshes, dunes, reefs to protect against rising seas
In San Francisco Bay, salt ponds created more than a century ago are reverting to marshland. Along the New York and New Jersey coasts, beaches ravaged by Superstorm Sandy underwent extensive restoration. In Alabama, a rebuilt spit of land is shielding a historic town and providing wildlife habitat. Coastal communities nationwide are ramping up efforts to fend off rising seas, higher tides and stronger storm surges that are chewing away at coastlines, pushing saltwater farther inland and threatening ecosystems and communities. The need for coastal restoration has been in the spotlight this month after Louisiana officials canceled a $3 billion project because of objections from the fishing industry and concerns about rising costs. The Mid-Barataria project was projected to rebuild more than 20 square miles (32 square kilometers) of land over about 50 years by diverting sediment-laden water from the Mississippi River. But work continues on many other projects in Louisiana and around the country, including barrier islands, saltwater marshes, shellfish reefs and other natural features that provided protection before they were destroyed or degraded by development. Communities are also building flood walls, berms and levees to protect areas that lack adequate natural protection. The work has become more urgent as climate change causes more intense and destructive storms and leads to sea-level rise that puts hundreds of communities and tens of millions of people at risk, scientists say. 'The sooner we can make these coastlines more resilient the better,' said Doug George, a geological oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In the U.S., perhaps nowhere is more vulnerable than the hurricane-prone Gulf Coast. Louisiana alone has lost more than 2,000 square miles (5,180 square kilometers) of coastline — more than any other state — over the past century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Historically, sediment deposited by the Mississippi and other rivers rebuilt land and nourished shore-buffering marshes. But that function was disrupted by the construction of channels and levees, along with other development. The dangers were magnified in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina breached flood walls and levees, submerging 80% of New Orleans and killing almost 1,400 people — followed closely by Hurricane Rita. Afterward, the state formed the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to lessen risks from storm surges and stem land loss. Most of the almost $18 billion spent in the past 20 years was to shore up levees, flood walls and other structures, the authority said. Dozens of other projects are completed, planned or underway, including rebuilding marshes and other habitat with sediment dredged from waterways and restoring river flow to areas that have lacked it for years. On Louisiana's Chandeleur Islands, a barrier island chain, the state will pump in sand to help rebuild them, which will dampen storm surges and benefit sea turtles and other wildlife, said Katie Freer-Leonards, who leads development of the state's 2029 coastal master plan. The authority is digging a channel to allow water and sediment from the Mississippi River to flow into part of Maurepas Swamp, a roughly 218-square-mile forested wetland northwest of New Orleans that has been 'dying for over a century' because of levees, project manager Brad Miller said. Sediment dredged from elsewhere also has been pumped into thousands of acres of sinking marshes to nourish them and raise their levels. The same is happening in other states. In Bayou La Batre, Alabama — a fishing village built in the late 1700s — The Nature Conservancy built breakwaters offshore, then pumped in sediment and built ridges, now covered with vegetation. That created a 'speed bump' that has helped protect the town from erosion, said Judy Haner, the Alabama Nature Conservancy's coastal programs director. The conservancy and others also have been creating miles of oyster reefs, and are acquiring tracts of land away from the coast to allow habitats to move as seawater encroaches. Such efforts won't prevent all land losses, but in Louisiana, 'cumulatively, they could make a big difference," said Denise Reed, a research scientist who is working on Louisiana's coastal master plan. 'It could buy us some time.' On the West Coast, communities vulnerable to sea-level rise also could see more flooding from increasingly intense atmospheric rivers, which carry water vapor from the ocean and dump huge amounts of rain in a short period of time. So tidal marshes and estuaries drained for agriculture and industry are being restored along the entire coast, both for habitat and coastal protection. Habitat restoration, not climate change, was the primary consideration when planning began about 20 years ago to restore marshland along the south end of San Francisco Bay, destroyed when ponds were created to harvest sea salt. But as sediment naturally fills in ponds and marsh plants return, 'we're realizing that ... marshes absorb wave energy, storm surge and the force of high tides,' said Dave Halsing, executive project manager at the California State Coastal Conservancy. That helps protect whatever is behind them, including sea walls and land that otherwise could be inundated or washed away, including some of California's most expensive real estate, near Silicon Valley. Projects also are underway along Alaska's coast and in Hawaii, where native residents are rebuilding ancient rocky enclosures originally intended to trap fish, but which also protect against storm surge. Thirteen years after Superstorm Sandy swamped the Atlantic coast, communities still are restoring natural buffers and building other protective structures. Sandy began as a fairly routine hurricane in the fall of 2012 before merging with other storms, stretching for a record 1,000 miles and pushing enormous amounts of ocean water into coastal communities. But the threat of future storm surges could be even greater because sea levels in some areas could rise as much as three feet within 50 years, said Donald E. Cresitello, a coastal engineer and senior coastal planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps rebuilt beaches, dunes and human-made structures from Massachusetts to Virginia and now is turning to areas farther inland that are increasingly vulnerable to more powerful storm surges, Cresitello said. 'If there's a river coming to the coast, that storm surge has the potential to just ride up that river," depending on the storm, he said. A 'phenomenal amount' of the U.S. population lives and works along its coasts, so protecting those areas is important to the U.S. economy, said George, the NOAA scientist. But it is also important to preserve generations of culture, he said. 'When you think about why people should care ... it's a whole way of life,' George said. ___ ___
San Francisco Chronicle
15 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Coastal communities restoring marshes, dunes, reefs to protect against rising seas and storm surges
In San Francisco Bay, salt ponds created more than a century ago are reverting to marshland. Along the New York and New Jersey coasts, beaches ravaged by Superstorm Sandy underwent extensive restoration. In Alabama, a rebuilt spit of land is shielding a historic town and providing wildlife habitat. Coastal communities nationwide are ramping up efforts to fend off rising seas, higher tides and stronger storm surges that are chewing away at coastlines, pushing saltwater farther inland and threatening ecosystems and communities. The need for coastal restoration has been in the spotlight this month after Louisiana officials canceled a $3 billion project because of objections from the fishing industry and concerns about rising costs. The Mid-Barataria project was projected to rebuild more than 20 square miles (32 square kilometers) of land over about 50 years by diverting sediment-laden water from the Mississippi River. But work continues on many other projects in Louisiana and around the country, including barrier islands, saltwater marshes, shellfish reefs and other natural features that provided protection before they were destroyed or degraded by development. Communities are also building flood walls, berms and levees to protect areas that lack adequate natural protection. The work has become more urgent as climate change causes more intense and destructive storms and leads to sea-level rise that puts hundreds of communities and tens of millions of people at risk, scientists say. 'The sooner we can make these coastlines more resilient the better,' said Doug George, a geological oceanographer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Gulf Coast In the U.S., perhaps nowhere is more vulnerable than the hurricane-prone Gulf Coast. Louisiana alone has lost more than 2,000 square miles (5,180 square kilometers) of coastline — more than any other state — over the past century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Historically, sediment deposited by the Mississippi and other rivers rebuilt land and nourished shore-buffering marshes. But that function was disrupted by the construction of channels and levees, along with other development. The dangers were magnified in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina breached flood walls and levees, submerging 80% of New Orleans and killing almost 1,400 people — followed closely by Hurricane Rita. Afterward, the state formed the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority to lessen risks from storm surges and stem land loss. Most of the almost $18 billion spent in the past 20 years was to shore up levees, flood walls and other structures, the authority said. Dozens of other projects are completed, planned or underway, including rebuilding marshes and other habitat with sediment dredged from waterways and restoring river flow to areas that have lacked it for years. On Louisiana's Chandeleur Islands, a barrier island chain, the state will pump in sand to help rebuild them, which will dampen storm surges and benefit sea turtles and other wildlife, said Katie Freer-Leonards, who leads development of the state's 2029 coastal master plan. The authority is digging a channel to allow water and sediment from the Mississippi River to flow into part of Maurepas Swamp, a roughly 218-square-mile forested wetland northwest of New Orleans that has been 'dying for over a century' because of levees, project manager Brad Miller said. Sediment dredged from elsewhere also has been pumped into thousands of acres of sinking marshes to nourish them and raise their levels. The same is happening in other states. In Bayou La Batre, Alabama — a fishing village built in the late 1700s — The Nature Conservancy built breakwaters offshore, then pumped in sediment and built ridges, now covered with vegetation. That created a 'speed bump' that has helped protect the town from erosion, said Judy Haner, the Alabama Nature Conservancy's coastal programs director. The conservancy and others also have been creating miles of oyster reefs, and are acquiring tracts of land away from the coast to allow habitats to move as seawater encroaches. Such efforts won't prevent all land losses, but in Louisiana, 'cumulatively, they could make a big difference," said Denise Reed, a research scientist who is working on Louisiana's coastal master plan. 'It could buy us some time.' Pacific Coast On the West Coast, communities vulnerable to sea-level rise also could see more flooding from increasingly intense atmospheric rivers, which carry water vapor from the ocean and dump huge amounts of rain in a short period of time. So tidal marshes and estuaries drained for agriculture and industry are being restored along the entire coast, both for habitat and coastal protection. Habitat restoration, not climate change, was the primary consideration when planning began about 20 years ago to restore marshland along the south end of San Francisco Bay, destroyed when ponds were created to harvest sea salt. But as sediment naturally fills in ponds and marsh plants return, 'we're realizing that ... marshes absorb wave energy, storm surge and the force of high tides,' said Dave Halsing, executive project manager at the California State Coastal Conservancy. That helps protect whatever is behind them, including sea walls and land that otherwise could be inundated or washed away, including some of California's most expensive real estate, near Silicon Valley. Projects also are underway along Alaska's coast and in Hawaii, where native residents are rebuilding ancient rocky enclosures originally intended to trap fish, but which also protect against storm surge. Atlantic Coast Thirteen years after Superstorm Sandy swamped the Atlantic coast, communities still are restoring natural buffers and building other protective structures. Sandy began as a fairly routine hurricane in the fall of 2012 before merging with other storms, stretching for a record 1,000 miles and pushing enormous amounts of ocean water into coastal communities. But the threat of future storm surges could be even greater because sea levels in some areas could rise as much as three feet within 50 years, said Donald E. Cresitello, a coastal engineer and senior coastal planner for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps rebuilt beaches, dunes and human-made structures from Massachusetts to Virginia and now is turning to areas farther inland that are increasingly vulnerable to more powerful storm surges, Cresitello said. 'If there's a river coming to the coast, that storm surge has the potential to just ride up that river," depending on the storm, he said. A 'phenomenal amount' of the U.S. population lives and works along its coasts, so protecting those areas is important to the U.S. economy, said George, the NOAA scientist. But it is also important to preserve generations of culture, he said. 'When you think about why people should care ... it's a whole way of life,' George said. ___
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Mexico's bat man on saving the ‘most unfairly treated animals on Earth'
EDITOR'S NOTE: Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex's Perpetual Planet Initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action. Bats have a bad reputation. Myths, folk tales, and negative media coverage mean people often link these flying mammals to vampires or blame them for disease outbreaks. But bat populations around the world are in decline, and without them, ecosystems lose key benefits like pest control, pollination and seed dispersal. Through education, research and advocacy, Rodrigo Medellín, a senior professor of ecology at the University of Mexico, has made it his mission to change the way people see these animals. Medellín's fascination with bats began at the age of 13, when he held one in his hands for the first time. 'That's when I decided to dedicate my life to their study and protection,' he says. Since then, caves have become his happy place. 'The peace, the darkness, the silence apart from the bat squealing. I feel relaxed in a cave and all I do is I try to convey this feeling to the people that are with me,' says Medellín, who is part of the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative and has won multiple awards for his work. He also founded of the Latin American Network for Bat Conservation, and Global South Bats, a network of bat scientists. There are over 1,400 bat species, which account for around a fifth of all known mammal species across the globe. They are the only mammals capable of powered flight, rather than just gliding, which allowed them to spread across the globe. They use highly developed echolocation to navigate and find prey at night, with some able to sense objects as small as human hair. Although certain species live for over 30 years, bats reproduce slowly – typically one pup per year. This makes it difficult for populations to recover from decline. 'They are very mysterious. Many people fear them, attack them, or despise them. They are probably the most unfairly treated animals on Earth,' says Medellín. Bats are often seen as symbols of evil and darkness, largely due to their association with vampires and the supernatural in Western folklore. Throughout history in Christian Europe, the bat has been associated with the devil, evil spirits, and witches. Eastern cultures tend to view them much more positively. For instance, in Chinese culture, they are considered symbols of luck and happiness. Still, the perception of bats has worsened with the emergence of Covid-19, which some believe originated in bats and they are often viewed negatively due to their association with diseases. 'Bats are certainly not fuller of diseases than your dog or cat. That has been horribly exaggerated,' Medellín explains. One of the most impactful services bats provide is pest control. Medellín notes that just one species along Mexico's northern borders numbers up to 30 million individuals, collectively devouring about 300 tons of insects every night. But they do much more than keep insects in check. Fruit-eating bats play a crucial role in spreading seeds as they fly long distances in search for food. 'By dropping seeds far from the parent tree, they help regenerate forests, maintain plant diversity, and support the life cycles of countless other organisms. The restoration of forests relies very heavily on bats,' Medellín says. Bats are also key pollinators for a wide range of plants, according to Medellín, including agave, the plant used to make tequila. Despite their critical ecological roles, populations worldwide face many challenges, most of which are caused by human activity. Habitat loss, wind turbines, pesticide use, and most recently, white nose syndrome – a fungal disease – have all taken a serious toll. As a result, many species are now listed as endangered or threatened. 'Imagine what happens if we lose bats overnight,' Medellín says. 'Without them, crops would be ravaged by hungry insects, and mosquito populations would surge, drastically changing our way of life.' He is committed to convincing people that bats are important for their everyday wellbeing and believes that greater awareness could transform attitudes and turn fear into fascination. Through initiatives like bat-friendly agave farming, long-distance migration tracking and international conservation networks, he's working to protect bat populations while highlighting their role in pollination, pest control and ecosystem health. 'I give people facts, images, evidence, and automatically they fall in love with bats,' he says. 'In my experience, anyone who had any contact with bats maintains that contact and starts expanding it.' 'If there is anybody who is still afraid of bats, I would like to invite you to learn a bit more,' he adds. 'They are going to win your heart.'
