Solar researchers revealed the highest resolution image ever captured of a solar flare.

The world's largest solar telescope, the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, has made history by capturing the highest-resolution images of a solar flare to date. On August 8, 2024, the telescope, located in Hawaii, recorded the evolution of an X-class solar flare in exquisite detail.

According to Cole Tamburri, a solar physicist at the University of Colorado Boulder, this is the first time the Inouye Solar Telescope has ever observed an X-class flare. The giant sunspot in question is on its 3rd trip around the sun, potentially breaking a century-old record.

The new data shows chaotic loops of plasma at the sun's surface during the final stages of an X-class solar flare. The images reveal the building blocks of larger solar arcades, possibly individual coronal loops, and even provide a detailed view of individual coronal loops, similar to seeing every single tree in a forest.

One of the most striking features in the new images is the appearance of pink 'raindrops' on the sun, captured in the greatest detail ever. These raindrops represent the plasma that forms the loops during a solar flare.

Solar flares occur when twisting magnetic fields snap back into place, causing the sun to blast particles and energy into space. The new data shows the evolution, shapes, and scales where magnetic reconnection occurs in solar flares, providing valuable insights into the mechanics of these powerful events.

Tamburri states that seeing the sun at these scales is a landmark moment in solar science. The new data could help scientists understand the magnetic field in the corona, improve models of solar flares, and potentially help predict future solar flares more accurately.

The new camera used by the Inouye Solar Telescope is capable of revealing breathtaking images of a continent-size sunspot. The size of the coronal loops observed in this data is not limited by the resolutions of older solar telescopes, opening up a new era of solar research.

On average, the plasma loops spanned about 30 miles (48 kilometers) wide, but some were smaller, down to about 13 miles (21 km). These detailed observations could help scientists improve their understanding of the complexity and diversity of solar flares.

While the study author, Massimo Pascale, is affiliated with an institution mentioned in the analysis published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the specific institution is not stated in the provided search results.

It is important to note that if aimed at Earth, energy from solar flares can disrupt radio communications and spacecraft orbiting our planet. Understanding these events better could help mitigate potential risks and protect our technology from the harmful effects of solar storms.

Solar researchers revealed the highest resolution image ever captured of a solar flare.