sharpest view of sun corona

Scientists Capture Sharpest-Ever View of the Sun’s Corona, Unveiling Coronal Rain and Plasma Streams

by

California | June 1, 2025 — In a stunning breakthrough for solar science, astronomers have captured the most detailed view to date of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, or corona, revealing a mesmerizing display of previously unseen plasma features including delicate “coronal raindrops,” high-speed plasma streams, and rapidly twisting prominences. The images, taken using advanced adaptive optics at the Goode Solar Telescope (GST) in California, mark a new frontier in our understanding of solar phenomena and space weather.

sharpest view of sun corona

Adaptive Optics Deliver a Clearer Sun Than Ever Before

The observations were made possible by CONA, a state-of-the-art adaptive optics system installed at the 1.6-meter GST, operated by the New Jersey Institute of Technology’s (NJIT) Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research. This technology allowed researchers to overcome the blurring effects of Earth’s atmosphere and achieve the telescope’s theoretical resolution limit of just 63 kilometers on the solar surface.

In the resulting footage, cooler plasma appears as fine, red-tinted filaments moving in mesmerizing loops and arcs—an artistic display of the Sun’s invisible magnetic field. These images were color-mapped to represent hydrogen-alpha light, a wavelength particularly useful for observing solar activity.

What Scientists Saw: Coronal Rain, Racing Plasmoids, and Dancing Prominences

Among the major discoveries was the sharpest view yet of coronal rain, an extraordinary process where superheated plasma cools, condenses, and falls back to the Sun’s surface along magnetic field lines. Some of these plasma threads were as narrow as 20 kilometers wide—finer than anything previously recorded.

Another standout observation was a fast-moving plasmoid—a blob of superheated plasma racing through the corona at nearly 100 kilometers per second. This event, which had only been modeled in theory or seen in coarse detail, was captured in real-time and unmatched clarity.

Additionally, the telescope documented a solar prominence—a loop of plasma extending from the Sun’s surface—twisting and morphing in complex, dynamic motions. These features, driven by the Sun’s magnetic fields, are believed to play a critical role in coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares, both of which have significant implications for space weather affecting satellites, GPS systems, and power grids on Earth.

The Sun’s “Fluffy” Surface and the Mystery of Spicules

Scientists also noted the Sun’s surface appeared surprisingly soft and fluffy, due to fleeting plasma jets known as spicules that erupt and vanish within minutes. Although spicules are common, their formation mechanisms remain a mystery, and the new observations could offer clues to their origin and role in heating the solar corona—a question that has puzzled solar physicists for decades.

A New Era in Solar Astronomy

Co-author Philip Goode, a prominent solar physicist, hailed the breakthrough as a milestone.

“This marks the beginning of a new era in solar astronomy,” said Goode. “We are now able to resolve fine-scale structures in the Sun’s corona that were once completely invisible to us.”

The study, published in Nature on May 27, is expected to guide future observations with next-generation instruments such as the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) in Hawaiʻi. By integrating adaptive optics like CONA into larger telescopes, scientists hope to further unlock the secrets of our nearest star.

As the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle in 2025, capturing such detailed phenomena becomes ever more critical—not just for scientific curiosity, but for protecting vital technologies here on Earth.

Author Profile

Ganpat Singh Chouhan
Ganpat Singh Chouhan
My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.