High-definition solar telescope produces its first stunning images of the Sun

[Polycount]

Why it matters: Most of us have seen the Sun thousands upon thousands of times throughout our lives, but only from a distance. True, high-definition images of our life-giving star are in short supply, but that makes today's news all the more exciting. Astronomers from the National Science Foundation (NSF) have obtained the first images and video from their high-definition, Sun-studying Inouye Solar Telescope, and the results are fascinating.

The image you see above is the highest resolution image of the Sun's surface that's ever been taken, according to the NSF. And given how amazing it looks, we're willing to take the organization at its word.

What you see in the image is the "boiling gas" that completely covers our solar system's central star. Each small "cell" in the picture is about the size of Texas, and they shift and change as different parts of the Sun's surface "plasma" boil to the surface. When in motion, as you can see below, the effect can look quite beautiful.

The NSF's Solar Telescope is located in Haleakala, Maui, in Hawaii, and it's about four meters in size. Though its ability to produce excellent-quality images of the Sun is certainly nice for us onlookers, the Telescope's primary goal is a bit more practical in nature.

The NSF hopes to use it to understand the Sun and its effect on our home planet a little better. For example, when "space weather" occurs throughout the star, the magnetic eruptions it emits can interfere with communications on Earth and even cause long-term power blackouts.

By studying the Sun's behavior, forecasters may eventually be able to predict not just Earth-based storms, but solar storms as well, and thus help us prepare for the events.

We're not sure what other findings the Solar Telescope will turn up over time, but we're certainly looking forward to finding out.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/83785-high-definition-solar-telescope-produces-first-stunning-images.html

 

[psycros]

This project will be really useful and important right up until it proves global warming is 99% based on solar cycles. Then it'll be shut down immediately just like that "most accurate ever" weather model was.

 

[polord]

I wonder, if sound could travel through space (I know it is impossible, no air) what we hear on earth. We also could hear the supernovas?

 

[captaincranky]

I wonder, if sound could travel through space (I know it is impossible, no air) what we hear on earth. We also could hear the supernovas?

It would probably be similar to what is said of being shot with a .45 caliber pistol, "you'll see the flash, but you'll never hear the bang".

.From a more scientific and less philosophical standpoint, a star needs at least 10 times the mass of our sun to cause it to nova. In fact, IIRC, the sun only has enough mass to fuse elements as far as oxygen, Fusion to iron is required, (the last element created in the fusion chain), is necessary to precipitate the core collapse which causes the explosion.

 

[Unusual Kmc]

I wonder, if sound could travel through space (I know it is impossible, no air) what we hear on earth. We also could hear the supernovas?

You probably would, but from other supernovae. If our Sun supernovas, we would die.


Just to give you a sense of scale for how powerful supernovae are, in 1006 a supernova (7200 light years away) went off and LIT UP the night sky for about a week. People on Earth literally had daylight 24/7.

 

[captaincranky]

You probably would, but from other supernovae. If our Sun supernovas, we would die.

As I mentioned in my post #4, our sun doesn't have enough mass to ever nova. It will just turn into a red giant and kill all 157 (**) billion of us that way

(**) That's probably a conservative estimate of our population at the time our sun goes into the red giant phase>.

 

[polord]

I not said our sun could be a supernova lol.

 

[wiyosaya]

As I mentioned in my post #4, our sun doesn't have enough mass to ever nova. It will just turn into a red giant and kill all 157 (**) billion of us that way

(**) That's probably a conservative estimate of our population at the time our sun goes into the red giant phase>.

If humanity is still alive...

 

[wiyosaya]

I wonder, if sound could travel through space (I know it is impossible, no air) what we hear on earth. We also could hear the supernovas?

In a way, we already hear other events, such as the birth of a black hole, through gravity waves.

 

[wiyosaya]

This project will be really useful and important right up until it proves global warming is 99% based on solar cycles. Then it'll be shut down immediately just like that "most accurate ever" weather model was.

Warning: Beyond here be dragons! Venture at your own risk. Venturing here is only for the brave -> https://climate.nasa.gov/blog/2910/what-is-the-suns-role-in-climate-change/

 

[lipe123]

This project will be really useful and important right up until it proves global warming is 99% based on solar cycles. Then it'll be shut down immediately just like that "most accurate ever" weather model was.

Way to make something cool into a "climate change is not real" issue.

Lets also entertain that climate change is caused by aliens, solar cycles, whatever you want right?
Why would we just sit back and not do something about it when we can? Should we just go "ohwells a bit of coastline is going to be reclaimed by the ocean, the millions of people and cities there just need to move no big deal?!"

 

[mbrowne5061]

This project will be really useful and important right up until it proves global warming is 99% based on solar cycles. Then it'll be shut down immediately just like that "most accurate ever" weather model was.

Honest question: what difference does it make?

Lets say you and those three other 'scientists' are right, and its solar cycles, but we spend the next few decades transitioning off carbon-based fuels anyway: how is this a bad thing? What? Maybe a coal billionaire loses their fortune because they refused to switch their capital over to lithium, silicon, and uranium? Big whop. Some new billionaire will take their place, the world keeps warming, cities still drown, mass migrations, war, etc. We still now have a more robust energy grid that will help us survive the transition.

But at least you seem to now admit the warming is real - so that is a step in the right direction, I suppose.

 

[JaredTheDragon]

This project will be really useful and important right up until it proves global warming is 99% based on solar cycles. Then it'll be shut down immediately just like that "most accurate ever" weather model was.

Nailed it, again. The NSF won't be shut down ever, but these people don't even care. They'll just publish their lies with a straight face and demand even MORE funding.

 

[Lionvibez]

As I mentioned in my post #4, our sun doesn't have enough mass to ever nova. It will just turn into a red giant and kill all 157 (**) billion of us that way

(**) That's probably a conservative estimate of our population at the time our sun goes into the red giant phase>.

I really don't think the human race will be alive long enough to see the sun turning into a Red giant.

its 2020 and you still have people that believe the earth is flat like its the 15th century its embarrassing.

 

[Lew Zealand]

Lol this is all fake news anyway.

Look at the byline:
“Astrologers from the National Science Foundation (NSF) have obtained...”

Astrologers.

Apparently reading comprehension is for other people, right?

 

[wiyosaya]

Lol this is all fake news anyway.

Look at the byline:
“Astrologers from the National Science Foundation (NSF) have obtained...”

Astrologers.

Apparently reading comprehension is for other people, right?

Well, it is not actually fake news - https://phys.org/news/2020-01-nsf-solar-telescope-images-sun.html

 

[Rayneofpayne]

I wonder, if sound could travel through space (I know it is impossible, no air) what we hear on earth. We also could hear the supernovas?

Sound does travel in a vacuum, in fact according to Einstein, matter can never exceed the speed of light, but experiments were done and while not breaking Einstein's theories the were able to make sound faster then light under extremely special conditions. Sound is mechanical in nature not energy like people think it is, and a medium in space is gravitational waves, which I believe at that frequency you may not be able to hear it though, space isnt completely empty as people like to think it is otherwise and there are only large pockets where space has no particles .

 

[Lew Zealand]

Well, it is not actually fake news - https://phys.org/news/2020-01-nsf-solar-telescope-images-sun.html

There was not a single bit of advice for a Pisces to follow in that article.

 

[wiyosaya]

Nailed it, again. The NSF won't be shut down ever, but these people don't even care. They'll just publish their lies with a straight face and demand even MORE funding.

I don't know why you liked my post since the link in it appears to be opposed to what you and @psycros are claiming. BTW - neither of you are wrong and neither of you are totally correct.

Then again, Jared, I know how you feel about NASA, NSF, etc.

Anyone who dared fall off the edge of the Earth to find the dragons and actually read at least the first paragraph of the article found this:

The Sun powers life on Earth; it helps keep the planet warm enough for us to survive. It also influences Earth’s climate: We know subtle changes in Earth’s orbit around the Sun are responsible for the comings and goings of the past ice ages. But the warming we’ve seen over the last few decades is too rapid to be linked to changes in Earth’s orbit, and too large to be caused by solar activity.

When someone mentions solar cycles affecting the Earth's climate, I think of orbital cycles which are 10s of thousands of years in length, and these are what the quote from the NASA site are referring to. These have been linked to ice ages - https://phys.org/news/2007-08-strong-evidence-earth-proximity-sun.html

 

[wiyosaya]

There was not a single bit of advice for a Pisces to follow in that article.

At least they the article indicated that the distinction between astronomy and astrology is understood by the article's author.

 

[ckm88]

As I mentioned in my post #4, our sun doesn't have enough mass to ever nova. It will just turn into a red giant and kill all 157 (**) billion of us that way

(**) That's probably a conservative estimate of our population at the time our sun goes into the red giant phase>.

That's given that humanity hasn't killed themselves by then

 

[Polycount]

At least they the article indicated that the distinction between astronomy and astrology is understood by the article's author.

Oops. It's been fixed now. Thanks to everyone who pointed it out. My mistake, and I apologize for that.

Though, truly, the biggest error here was not providing a horoscope for our readers. I'm ashamed.

There was not a single bit of advice for a Pisces to follow in that article.

Fear not. We plan to offer this service to readers sometime in 2100.

 

[captaincranky]

I not said our sun could be a supernova lol.

Now it seems I should go from astronomy to English lessons. "|Go where the help is needed", that's my motto... :roleyes:

 

[polord]

Now it seems I should go from astronomy to English lessons. "|Go where the help is needed", that's my motto... :roleyes:

Help for what I need?

 

[captaincranky]

"I not said our"....[ ]...

"I not said"..... Really?