Latest news with #VacuumTowerTelescope
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Scientists reveal the sharpest-ever images of the sun's surface
We can't gaze closely in the direction of the sun, can we? Well, we could just now with this innovation. Courtesy of this breakthrough new camera devised at the Vacuum Tower Telescope in Tenerife. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In a breakthrough in solar astronomy, astronomers have achieved a historic feat by taking the most precise images ever of the Sun. This has been made possible through the pairing of a highly advanced new camera system with the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) at the Teide Observatory on the Spanish island of Tenerife. The Vacuum Tower Telescope has been in use since 1988 and is famous for its significant discoveries in solar physics. But this technological upgrade has tremendously expanded its reach. The state-of-the-art camera system can take 100 rapid, short-exposure images at 25 frames per second. All of them have a resolution of 8,000 by 6,000 pixels, far beyond what any of the modern ground-based solar telescopes can manage. Unprecedented image detail These short exposure photos are not just issues of speed and breadth; they are subsequently processed using impeccable image restoration techniques in order to reduce distortions caused by Earth's atmosphere. The result is a single ultra-high-resolution image that is able to capture details on the surface of the Sun as little as 100 kilometers in size, a resolution level that allows scientists to peer deep into the inner mechanisms of solar activity as never before. Perhaps the most stunning aspect of this achievement is the extent of coverage. The VTT's new apparatus allows it to image a region about 200,000 kilometers across — about one-seventh of the Sun's full diameter. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This is a significant increase from previous equipment, which was limited to observing areas only about 75,000 kilometers across. This increased field of view offers a better understanding of how small details such as sunspots function within the greater structure of the Sun. They were obtained in the G-band wavelength, which is ideally suited to observe the fine structure of the solar photosphere. In the newly released photos, researchers have seen distorted penumbral filaments within sunspots — indicators of complex magnetic activity that typically predict the potential for solar flares. The G-band photos also enable one to see how sunspots are structured within broader convection cells called supergranules, illuminating more about the dynamic processes of the Sun. Real-time monitoring of solar activity Even more thrilling about this advancement is its capacity to monitor these changes in the Sun's surface in real time. With updates as frequently as every 20 seconds, researchers can now monitor the rapidly changing magnetic fields and plasma flows on the Sun's surface. This is a vital leap forward in studying space weather phenomena, which can impact satellite communications, GPS, and even power grids on our planet. The advent of this state-of-the-art imaging system is a revolutionary point in the study of the sun. It not only makes us more efficient in the study of the sun and its finer aspects but also makes us capable of predicting solar activity in many ways. The world is evolving, and so is our technology. Devices like these are crucial in unearthing hidden secrets and more
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New 8K-resolution photos of the sun show off incredible details of raging sunspots
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Incredible new images of the sun's surface provide an unprecedented view of raging sunspots and solar activity. A new high-resolution camera system developed by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) for the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT), located at the Observatorio del Teide in Tenerife, reconstructed views of the sun with an 8K image resolution for the first time, according to a statement from AIP. Solar observations often face a trade-off between field of view and resolution. Large solar telescopes provide high-resolution images but cover limited areas, while smaller instruments can monitor the entire solar disk but lack fine detail. However, the VTT offers both a wide field of view and commendable spatial resolution. The integration of the new camera system enhances this capability, allowing for comprehensive and detailed studies of active solar regions. "In order to better understand solar activity, it is crucial not only to analyze the fundamental processes of the fine structure and the long-term development of global activity with various instruments, but also to investigate the temporal evolution of the magnetic field in active regions," Rolf Schlichenmaier, a scientist at the Institute for Solar Physics (KIS) in Freiburg, which operates the VTT, said in the statement. The new camera system employs advanced image restoration techniques, compiling 100 short-exposure images — each with a resolution of 8000x6000 pixels — captured at 25 frames per second. This process yields reconstructed images with 8K resolution, effectively mitigating disturbances caused by Earth's atmosphere and achieving a spatial resolution of approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) on the sun's surface. Such precision enables the observation of dynamic solar processes on timescales as short as 20 seconds, according to the statement. RELATED STORIES: — 14,000 years ago, the most powerful solar storm ever recorded hit Earth. 'This event establishes a new worst-case scenario' — World's largest solar telescope gains powerful new 'eye' to study the sun's secrets — Watch the sun unleash 600,000-mile-long eruption in fiery outburst (video) Using this technology, researchers have obtained high-resolution images covering areas up to 124,274 miles (200,000 km) in diameter, which is approximately one-seventh of the sun's diameter. In turn, the images reveal intricate details of sunspot groups, plasma flows and magnetic field structures that trigger solar flares. This not only enhances our understanding of complex solar dynamics, but lends insight for improved space weather forecasting.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Sun in 8k: Scientists reveal the most detailed view of our star yet
The Sun and its surface are now available in 8k resolution thanks to the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) installed at the Observatorio del Teide in Tenerife. Developed by the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP), this solar observation tool has provided a significant leap in the technology used to study and capture the surface level activity of the Sun by allowing us to capture not only a large field of view but also substantially higher resolution images that can be used by scientists to study the Sun's surface better. Traditional solar telescopes have often had to pick a battle between either providing highly pixelated images or maintaining a large field of view. The VTT, however, allows scientists to combine the best of both aspects owing to its unique ability to maintain spatial resolution during wide angle shots. 100 shot-exposure images can be shot at 25 frames per second in an 8,000 by 6,000 pixels resolution which can later be restored to recreate the image in 8k. The enhanced spatial resolution down to 100 km on the surface allows scientists to overlook distortions caused by the Earth's turbulent atmosphere during observation. The capacities this groundbreaking opportunity unveils are vast. Capturing the fine details of the Sun's surface allows scientists to better study flares and sunspots which arise as a result of magnetic fields and plasma motions. Tracking these features is a key part of shielding satellites, communication and power grids on Earth from the changes these eruptive events bring to space weather. Solar dynamics can now be better comprehended thanks to the VTT's ability to observe large-scale features that are approximately 200,000 km across. The smallest magnetic signatures can be identified as bright structures in the photosphere and chromosphere layers by applying specialized filters. 'In order to better understand solar activity, it is crucial not only to analyze the fundamental processes of the fine structure and the long-term development of global activity with various instruments, but also to investigate the temporal evolution of the magnetic field in active regions,' says Rolf Schlichenmaier, scientist at the Kiepenheuer Institute for Solar Physics (KIS). The VTT is also well-equipped with various other advanced instruments such as the HELioseismic Large Region Interferometric Device (HELLRIDE), the Laser Absolute Reference Spectrograph (LARS), and the Fast Multi-line Universal Spectrograph (FaMuLUS) which allow scientists to study solar activity more comprehensively. The telescope is living proof of how existing instruments can be attached to cutting-edge technology in order to increase the research output they provide. Carsten Denker, head of the Solar Physics Section at AIP, says, 'The results obtained show how, together with our partners, we are teaching an old telescope new tricks.' A study published in the journal Solar Physics provides more details about this innovative technology and its scientific applications.
