22 December 2024,   10:13
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The most detailed photos and videos of the sun"s surface ever captured reveal Texas-sized cells of boiling plasma

The sun is a violent place, filled with boiling plasma and unpredictable eruptions. Now, the highest-resolution photos and videos ever taken of its surface show that action in unprecedented detail.

The National Science Foundation released the data and images from the first observations from its Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii. The photos and videos reveal a pattern of roiling plasma that blankets the sun’s surface. Each cell-like structure is about the size of Texas.

When the telescope’s construction ends on June 30, it will help carve out a new era in solar science, with help from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which is circling the sun, and the upcoming Solar Orbiter, which launches next week.

The trio of telescopes could help scientists forecast dangerous eruptions on the sun. They will also produce more photos and videos like those below. Here are the stunning new images, and what to expect next.

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