Read, Watch or Listen

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii has captured the most detailed image of the sun yet, revealing sunspots measuring 25,000km by 25,000km. The image, achieved using a new Visible Tunable Filter (VTF), provides unprecedented detail (10km per pixel) of the sun's magnetic activity, crucial for understanding solar flares and space weather. This improved resolution will help predict damaging solar storms that can disrupt Earth's infrastructure and satellites. The VTF, a complex instrument weighing 5.6 tons, is expected to be fully operational in 2026.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.