An incredibly sharp photo of the Sun has revealed, for the first time, the magnetic “striae” hidden on the solar surface.
The image was captured by scientists at the National Solar Observatory (NSO) in Hawaii using the Inouye Solar Telescope, the most powerful solar telescope on Earth.
To take the photo, the telescope was used together with a special Visible Broadband Imager camera and a G-band, a specific wavelength of light that highlights magnetic activity.
In the image, which is so sharp it takes your breath away, fine stripe-like patterns called striae can be seen on the Sun’s surface, marking the first time they have been observed.
The stripes are only about 20 kilometers wide and are caused by thin, blade-like magnetic fields on the Sun, according to the study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
In the article, scientists explained that they behave like “curtains or fabrics waving in the wind,” changing how light passes through.
Also, the stronger the magnetic field, the darker the lines appear, acting like the “fingerprints” of the Sun’s magnetic activity, according to Dr. David Kuridze, NSO scientist and lead author of the study.
Photo and video: Unsplash / NSF/NSO/AURA. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
