Scientists at the US National Science Foundation and New Jersey Institute of Technology have captured the most detailed images of the sun’s corona using a new optical technique called adaptive optics. This technology helps counteract the blurring effect of Earth’s atmosphere, allowing researchers to better understand the extreme nature of the corona.
Developed at the Goode Solar Telescope in California, the coronal adaptive optics system uses advanced technology similar to camera autofocus to isolate and zoom in on dynamic features. The results were published in Nature Astronomy and aim to improve space weather forecasting and predict potential solar flares.
The sun’s corona is a complex layer of its atmosphere, visible only during total solar eclipses. Scientists have long been fascinated by its extreme temperatures and massive eruptions. This latest technology is a major step forward in ground-based solar astronomy, and researchers plan to pair it with the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii for more detailed mapping.
Source: https://www.nsf.gov/news/clearest-ever-images-suns-corona-captured-new-optical