The Suns Surface in 3D
Explanation:
How smooth is the Sun?
The new
Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope,
deployed in the
Canary Islands
only last year, allows imaging of objects less than 100-km across on the
Sun's surface.
When pointed toward the
Sun's edge, surface
objects now begin to block each other, indicating true
three-
dimensional information.
Close inspection of the image reveals much vertical
information, including
spectacular light-bridges
rising nearly 500-km above the floor of
sunspots near the top of the image.
Also visible in the
above false-color image are hundreds of bubbling
granules, each about
1000-km across, and small bright regions known as
faculas.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
