American astronomers have recently released the most detailed images ever of a sunspot with a diameter larger than that of Earth, captured by the Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO) located in California.
These stunning images give the impression of looking at a flower or a mysterious eye. In fact, these are the most detailed images of a sunspot ever recorded. With a diameter reaching up to 12,875 km, this sunspot is even larger than our Earth.
The most detailed images ever of a sunspot on the Sun’s surface. (Photo: Daily Mail).
Scientists report that at the center of this sunspot, the temperature reaches up to 3,600 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, temperatures in the surrounding areas are much higher, possibly reaching 5,800 degrees Celsius.
The chaotic, grainy masses surrounding the outer edge of this sunspot are due to hot gas chunks erupting from within the Sun. Each of these hot gas chunks has a diameter of up to 1,000 km.
The unusual shapes surrounding the Sun’s sunspot are called granules and are made up of hot gas rising from within the Sun.
Scientists believe that these magnetic structures, similar to the Sun’s sunspot, play a crucial role in helping us understand space weather. Space weather, primarily originating from the Sun, can have significant impacts on Earth’s climate and environment.
A severe solar storm can potentially damage the entire power grid and communication network, destroy satellites, and even pose a radiation risk to pilots, crew, and passengers aboard aircraft.
The astronomy magazine Ciel et l’Espace praised it as “the most beautiful and detailed image of the Sun’s sunspot under visible light.”
Professor Philip R. Goodewill, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, explained that these images were captured using the New Solar Telescope (NST) located at BBSO, with a 1.6-meter aperture. This telescope boasts a resolution that extends about 50 miles across the surface of the Sun. It also utilizes an adaptive optics lens to compensate for atmospheric turbulence and correct any distorted signals received.