The solar crown, the outermost layer of its atmosphere, visible only during a total solar eclipse, has intrigued scientists for a long time due to its extreme and violent eruption temperatures. However, Turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere has caused blurred images and has hindered the observations of the crown. To date. Now, an innovative technology developed by scientists from the National Foundation of EE. UU., The National Solar Observatory (NSO) and the New Jersey Technological Institute (NJIT) is changing this situation by using adaptive optics to eliminate blurrosity.
According to a study Posted in Nature Astronomythis pioneer technology of “coronal adaptive optics” has produced the most amazing and clear images and videos of the fine structure of the crown to date. This development It will open the door to a deeper knowledge of the enigmatic crown behavior and the processes that determine the space climate.
Installed in the solar good telescope (GST) of 1.6 meters, the adaptive optics system responsible for these new images, The system compensates for blurcies caused by air turbulence in the earth’s atmosphere, similar to the sensation of turbulence experienced by passengers during a flight.
“The turbulence in the air degrades seriously the images of space objects, such as our sun, observed through our telescopes. But we can correct it“, says Dirk Schmidt, an adaptive optics scientist of the NSO, in A statement.
Among the most outstanding observations of the team is a film of a solar prominence in rapid restructuring that reveals fine and turbulent internal flows. Solar prominences are large and bright structures, which often appear as arches or loops, which extend from the surface of the sun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rfczz9afim
“These are, with much, the most detailed observations of this type, and show characteristics not previously observed, and it is not yet clear what they are -adds Vasyl Yurchyshyn, co -author of the study -. It is extremely exciting to build an instrument that shows us the sun as never before. These findings offer a new invaluable, vital observational perspective to test the computer models of coronal processes. ”
The crown is heated to millions of degrees, much more than the surface of the sun, due to mechanisms unknown to scientists. Also It houses dynamic solar plasma phenomena much colder, that is stained with a reddish pink color during eclipses. Scientists believe that solving the structure and dynamics of this coldest plasma on a small scale is key to solving the mystery of coronal heating and improving our understanding of the eruptions that expels capture to space and that drive the space climate; That is, the conditions of the environment close to the land space, mainly influenced by solar activity.
“This transformative technology, which will probably be adopted in observatories around the world, is ready to transform land solar astronomy -concludes Philip R. Goode, co -author of the study -. With the coronal adaptive optics already in operation, This marks the beginning of a new era in solar physics, which promises many more discoveries in the coming years and decades. ”