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9 clusters · 117 sources · 38 days · First seen about 2 months ago · Last updated 12 days ago

Inouye Solar Telescope solar turbulence discovery

Overview

In August 2026, researchers reported that the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope on Maui had captured the highest‑resolution images ever of the Sun’s photosphere. Data taken in April 2025 revealed direct Kelvin‑Helmholtz instabilities—vortex structures 20–65 km across—on a magnetically active region near a sunspot. The findings, published in *Nature*, highlighted a mechanism that could drive magnetic‑energy buildup and influence space‑weather events such as solar flares and coronal‑mass ejections. A few days later, a follow‑up report emphasized the chaotic, “boiling” plasma landscape seen in the same observations, confirming the presence of giant vortices and magnetic friction. The authors stressed that the Sun’s surface is far more turbulent than previously modeled and that understanding these small‑scale instabilities should improve forecasts of solar eruptions and geomagnetic storms that affect satellites, power grids and communications on Earth. On 7 August 2026, a press release detailed the international collaboration involving the U.S. National Solar Observatory, NCAR’s High Altitude Observatory and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research. On 10 August 2026, astronomers led by David Kuridze and Friedrich Wöger noted they analyzed 47 vortices with diameters ranging from 25 to 170 kilometers. Technical details clarified on 13 August 2026 explained that researchers used high-speed cameras recording 740 frames per second, combining 2,000 exposures. By late August, scientists noted these spiral-shaped features, which occur when plasma layers move at different speeds, may provide clues to why the Sun’s corona is significantly hotter than its visible surface. These whirlpool-like structures are caused by magnetic fields being twisted and moved by hot gas motion. By mid-September, researchers confirmed that the observed motions match theoretical predictions of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs) after comparing images with computer simulations. These tiny structures, some measuring less than 20 kilometers across, provide direct observational evidence for the long-theorized fluid instability.

Entities

Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope · National Solar Observatory · Sun · Nature · National Science Foundation

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 5 SOURCES] An international team of scientists identified the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the Sun's surface.
[● 4 SOURCES] The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability manifests as small, whirlpool-like swirling patterns in the solar photosphere.
[● 4 SOURCES] The research findings were published in the journal Nature.
[● 2 SOURCES] The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope achieved unprecedented resolution of the photosphere at a wavelength of 416 nanometers.
[○ 1 SOURCE] The observed plasma whirls range in diameter from approximately 12 miles to 100 miles.
[○ 1 SOURCE] Understanding these solar instabilities may help explain how magnetic energy accumulates and triggers solar flares and eruptions.

Timeline

12 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
Inouye Solar Telescope captures unprecedented images of solar plasma whirlpools
Using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, astronomers have imaged plasma whirlpools on the Sun, confirming Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities that may explain why the solar corona is so hot.
30 days ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
Inouye Solar Telescope captures sharpest image of sun to date
The Inouye Solar Telescope has captured the sharpest image of the sun yet, revealing magnetic whirlpools that help scientists understand solar heating and predict disruptive space weather.
about 1 month ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 3 sources
Inouye Solar Telescope captures sharpest-ever images of the Sun
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope has captured unprecedented images of the Sun, revealing tiny plasma vortices that may explain why the solar corona is much hotter than the Sun's surface.
about 1 month ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope captures solar plasma waves
The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope has captured the first confirmed images of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities on the Sun, revealing plasma waves that may explain why the solar corona is so hot.
about 1 month ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope captures highest-resolution sun images
Scientists using Hawaii's Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope have captured the highest-resolution solar images ever, revealing Kelvin-Helmholtz instability patterns on the sun's surface.
about 1 month ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
National Solar Observatory confirms Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities on the Sun
Using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, scientists have confirmed that Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities drive plasma mixing on the Sun, resolving a 150-year-old astronomical mystery.
about 1 month ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 5 sources
Inouye Solar Telescope captures highest-resolution images of Sun's surface
Using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, scientists have captured the sharpest images of the Sun yet, providing direct evidence of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in solar plasma.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 9 sources
Inouye Solar Telescope captures unprecedented images of solar plasma vortices
Using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, scientists have captured the highest-resolution images of the Sun, revealing Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities and plasma vortices on its surface.
about 2 months ago

[TECHNOLOGY] 89 sources
Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope captures record‑resolution images of Sun’s surface
Inouye Telescope’s 19 km‑resolution images of the Sun, taken 14 April 2025, show Kelvin‑Helmholtz vortices (20–65 km) that may drive space‑weather events; study by Kuridze, Wöger, Boboltz published in Nature 5

Sources

abenteuerleben.ch · actualidad.rt.com · archynetys.com · archyworldys.com · argjirolajm.net · artsquest.org · asiaone.co.in · astronews.com · aztecajalisco.com · bbcmundo.com · birthdayworld.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · canaltech.com.br · ciencia.estadao.com.br · communitynews.com.au · confidencial.digital · cremation.com · diariodecadiz.es · diariodejerez.es · dnevno.hr · dtnext.in · eldiadecordoba.es · eldiario.es · elpais.com · enerzine.com · evariste.org · fishidy.com · friendsofnasa.org · fstoppers.com · gazetezebra.com.tr · gazzetta.gr · geo.fr · horizons.dk · huelvainformacion.es · in.gr · independent.co.uk · index.hr · karar.com · keyt.com · kimcrayton1.medium.com · kion546.com · kob.com · koha.mk · kopalniawiedzy.pl · kosmo.com.my · krdo.com · ktvz.com · kurir.rs

This summary has been updated 9 times: see revision history