'Most detailed ever': First high-resolution image of ‘sunspot’ released by NSF, pic inside

Astronomers in the US have released a high-resolution image of the ‘Sunspot’ ever captured. In a level of detail from the vicinity as never seen before, scientists managed to take a striking image of the Sun, deputing the Sunspot’s structure. According to the official press release, the image was taken back in January by the Inouye Solar Telescope, however, it was released on December 7 by National Science Foundation (NSF). 

Thomas Rimmele, who is the associate director at NSF’s National Solar Observatory (NSO), said, “The sunspot image achieves a spatial resolution about 2.5 times higher than ever previously achieved, showing magnetic structures as small as 20 kilometres on the surface of the sun”. 

READ: NASA Shares Pics Of Supermassive Black Holes Merging, Netizens Say 'absolutely Stunning'

According to the press note, the latest image marks the first time any such picture of a sunspot has been taken. The image reveals the streaky appearance of hot and cool gas spidering out from the darker centre, which is the result of sculpting by a convergence of intense magnetic fields and hot gases boiling up from below. This concentration of the magnetic field in the dark region suppresses heat within the Sun from reaching the surface. 

Sunspot large enough to fit Earth inside 

Scientists informed that while the dark areas of the sunspot is cooler than the surrounding area of the Sun, it is still extremely hot with a temperature of more than 7,500 degrees Fahrenheit. The image, measuring about 10,000 miles across, is just a tiny part of the Sun, however, the sunspot is large enough that Earth could fit inside. The telescope used to take the image is the largest one dedicated to the research of the Sun, and it is operated by the NSF. 

READ: Raja Chari Is The Only Indian-American Selected For NASA’s Mission To Moon, Netizens Cheer

Further, the press note revealed that the sunspots are the most visible representation of solar activity. Sunspots even help scientists know the activeness of the Sun. They said that the more sunspots are visible on the Sun, the more active the Sun is. 

Dr. Matt Mountain, president of the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), said, “We can now point the world’s most advanced solar telescope at the Sun to capture and share incredibly detailed images and add to our scientific insights about the Sun’s activity”. 

Sunspots cause many space weather events, which frequently impact the Earth, a consequence of living inside the extended atmosphere of a star. The scientist said that these events affect technological life on Earth and the magnetic field associated with solar storms can impact power grids, communications, GPS navigation, air travel, satellites and humans living in space. The telescope, on the other hand, is poised to add important capabilities to the complement of the tools optimised to study solar activity particularly magnetic fields. 

READ: NASA Shares Sights Captured By Hubble In 30 Years From Caldwell Catalog For The First Time

READ: NASA Shares Mesmerising Sonification Video Of Crab Nebula; Netizens Call It 'breathtaking'