The Sun closer than ever

2020/02/03 Agirre Ruiz de Arkaute, Aitziber - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astrofisika

C. Daniel The new Inouye Solar Telescope has provided the first images showing the surface of the Sun with unprecedented details. The cells seen in the image are plasma bubbles of the Sun rising from the interior of the Sun to the surface. The National Science Foundation notes that each cell has an Iberian size.

The main scientific objective of the telescope is to measure the magnetic fields of the Sun's atmosphere. These magnetic fields are responsible for solar eruptions and the Sun's magnetic eruptions can affect many Earth systems: in air travel, they can disrupt satellite communications, produce power grid failures, electronic devices, etc. The new solar telescope will serve to better understand the activity of the Sun and its influence on our planet.

The telescope has a 4-metre aperture, the largest solar telescope in the world. For nine years they have been under construction and on December 10 took the first images. In the coming months, the team of engineers, technicians and scientists will be dedicated to testing and improving the telescope in a short period of time when the international scientific community investigating the Sun has been prepared to work.