A giant sunspot the size of the Earth has been spotted in the sun’s atmosphere, giving solar scientists a fresh look at the activity of our nearest star.
The Inouye Solar Telescope of the National Science Foundation of the Hawaiian island of Maui has just begun its 12-month operational phase of commissioning.
It is the largest solar telescope in the world and a cornerstone mission in discovering more about the sun and how it affects the Earth through solar flares.
The new image is not the first by Inouye to launch high-resolution photos of the sun two years ago. But this is one of the most detailed views of the star ever made from Earth.
This is the first photo published as part of a special scientific observation examining the phenomenon of magnetic reconnection surrounding a giant sunspot.
“The diameter of the dark part of the sunspot (called the sun) is approximately the same diameter as the Earth,” a spokesman said.
A giant sunspot the size of Earth has been spotted in the sun’s atmosphere, giving solar scientists a fresh look at our star’s activity.
Inouye began her first scientific observations on Feb. 23 as part of an experiment led by Dr. Tetsu Annan, principal investigator at the National Solar Observatory.
The team looks at the sun’s “electric field associated with a magnetic reconnection that drives a jet into the chromosphere.”
It is designed to test a process known as “magnetic reconnection” by measuring the electric fields that are thought to occur during this process.
Magnetic reconnection is the mechanism by which solar magnetic fields are reconfigured suddenly and energetically, resulting in plasma jets ejected from the solar atmosphere. This process has long been theorized, but not yet proven.
Observations from Inouye’s unique toolkit allow scientists to observe this elusive but vital phenomenon for the first time.
“I am honored to have been selected for the first scientific experiment conducted at the Inouye Solar Telescope,” said Dr. Annan.
The Inouye Solar Telescope of the National Science Foundation of the Hawaiian Island of Maui has just begun its 12-month operational phase of commissioning
To observe the sun in unprecedented detail, the telescope has a 13-foot (4 meters) mirror – the largest ever for a solar telescope.
WHAT IS THE DANIEL K. INOUYE SOLAR TELESCOPE?
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope is a facility of the National Science Foundation of the United States, located on the Haleakalā volcano in Maui, Hawaii.
To observe the Sun in unprecedented detail, the telescope has a 13-foot (4 meters) mirror – the largest ever for a solar telescope.
The surrounding observatory is located about 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) above sea level at the top of the mountain, offering astronomers unparalleled viewing conditions.
State-of-the-art adaptive optical technology allows the telescope to be precisely focused, while compensating for image blur caused by light passing through the Earth’s atmosphere.
To protect Inouye from the enormous heat generated by focusing about 13 kilowatts of solar energy, the telescope has a specialized cooling system that includes more than seven miles (11.3 kilometers) of pipelines.
This system even uses ice, which is generated on site at night.
At the same time, the dome that covers the telescope is covered with thin cooling plates and covers that help maintain a constant temperature around the instrument.
A liquid-cooled metal donut, known as a “heat brake,” works to block most of the sun’s energy from reaching the main mirror, allowing scientists to explore specific areas of the star’s surface with incomparable detail.
“This is a moment we are all looking forward to – a historic welcome to the new era of solar observations. I would like to thank the co-researchers and everyone involved in the Inouye Solar Telescope for this monumental stage.
Dr Jiong Qiu of Montana State University was one of several co-researchers in the experiment, adding that magnetic reconnection is the key word in many solar energy release events, making it an important goal.
“For many years, solar physicists could only derive or estimate the mean electric field of reconnection based on many assumptions,” said Dr. Qiu.
“I hope that the ability to directly measure this important physical parameter with the enabling technology of the Inouye solar telescope will bring a breakthrough in solar physics and revolutionize our understanding of magnetic reconnection.
The solar telescope has been around for more than 25 years and has been hailed as the “crowning achievement” of terrestrial solar astronomy.
“We are proud to be launching the world’s largest and most powerful solar telescope online,” said Dr. Seturaman Panchanathan, director of NSF.
The facility operates 10,000 feet above sea level near the top of Haleakala in Maui, Hawaii, where unique environmental conditions allow observations of the elusive crown of the sun.
The operational phase of the telescope is a long-awaited achievement, marking the end of a construction phase reserved for innovation work in 2012 and an 18-month delay caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Inouye Solar Telescope team has remained committed to developing an innovative solar telescope that pushes the boundaries of new technology,” said Dr. David Bobolz, program director in NSF’s astronomical sciences department.
“From design to construction, they have overcome many challenges to realize a world-class facility ready to fulfill its transformational potential for all of humanity.”
The new image isn’t the first from Inouye to launch high-resolution photos of the sun two years ago, but it’s one of the closest star views ever taken from Earth – providing a detailed view of sunspots.
An image shows the highest resolution solar surface ever taken by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) on January 29, 2020.
The stunning first images from the Inouye solar telescope revealed models in the rotating plasma that makes up the solar surface
The Inouye Solar Telescope will take high-resolution images and measure the magnetic fields of solar phenomena, including sunspots, solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
Solar activity leads to cosmic meteorological events that can affect the Earth by disrupting power grids, communications networks and other technologies on which we depend.
It is designed to work with other advanced observatories, as well as probes close to the sun, such as the Parker solar probe, to provide a better idea of the behavior of space weather to help develop tools for predicting such events.
“The first scientific observations with the Inouye Solar Telescope mark an exciting moment for the solar science community,” said Dr. Thomas Rimele, NSO Associate Director and Head of the Inouye Solar Telescope.
“There is no other facility like the Inouye solar telescope. Now this is the cornerstone of our mission to improve our knowledge of the Sun by providing opportunities for foresight to the research community. This changes the game.
WHAT ARE THE CATEGORIES OF SOLAR STORMS AND WHAT ARE THEIR EFFECTS?
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses its space weather scales to categorize solar storms.
They were introduced as a way to communicate to the general public current and future meteorological conditions in space and their possible impact on people and systems.
The rocks describe environmental disturbances for three types of events: geomagnetic storms, solar radiation storms and radio eclipses.
Libra has numbered levels similar to hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes that transmit gravity.
G5 – Extreme
Energy systems: Widespread voltage control problems and protection system problems can occur. Some network systems may experience complete collapse or blackout. Transformers may fail.
Spacecraft Operations: You may experience extensive surface charging, orientation problems, up / down, and tracking satellites.
Other systems: Pipeline currents can reach hundreds of amperes, high frequency radio propagation may be impossible in many areas for one to two days, satellite navigation may deteriorate for days, low frequency radio navigation can be turned off for hours and aurora borealis is seen so much as low as Florida and South Texas (typically 40 ° latitude).
G4 – Heavy
Energy systems: Possible widespread voltage control problems and some protection systems will mistakenly exclude key assets from the grid.
Spacecraft Operations: Surface loading and tracking problems may occur, corrections may be required for orientation problems.
Other systems: Induced pipeline currents affect preventive measures, high-frequency radio propagation is sporadic, satellite navigation deteriorates by hours, low-frequency radio navigation is disrupted, and aurora borealis is observed as low as Alabama and Northern California (usually 45 ° latitude).
G3 – Strong
Power systems: Voltage adjustments may be required, false alarms triggered on some protection devices.
Spacecraft Operations: Surface charging may occur on satellite components, drag may increase on low Earth orbit satellites, and corrections may be required for orientation problems.
Other systems: Satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation problems may occur, HF radio may be intermittent, and aurora borealis observed as low as Illinois and Oregon (usually 50 ° geomagnetic).
G2 – Moderate
Power systems: High-width power systems can experience voltage alarms, prolonged storms can cause transformer damage.
Spacecraft operations: Corrective actions for orientation may be required by ground control; possible changes in resistance affect orbit forecasts.
Other systems: HF radio propagation may fade at higher latitudes, and aurora borealis is observed as low as New York and Idaho (usually 55 ° geomagnetic).
G1 – Minor
Energy systems: Slight fluctuations in the electrical network may occur.
Spacecraft operations: There may be a slight impact on satellite operations.
Other systems: Migrating animals are affected at this and higher levels; the radiance is usually seen at high latitudes (northern Michigan and Maine).