NEW YORK (AP) — A telescope in Hawaii has produced its first images of the sun, revealing its turbulent gas surface in what scientists called unprecedented detail.
They show the surface covered with bright cell-like areas, each about the size of Texas, that result from the transporting of heat from the sun's interior. The telescope can reveal features as small as 18 miles (30 km) across, according to the National Science Foundation, which released the images Wednesday.
Further observations will help scientists understand and predict solar activity that can disrupt satellite communications and affect power grids, the foundation said. The telescope is on the island of Maui.
An image shows the Sun's surface at the highest resolution ever taken, shot by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST), the world's largest solar telescope, on the island of Maui, Hawaii, U.S., January 29, 2020, in this image obtained January 30, 2020. NSO/NSF/AURA/Handout via REUTERS