Astronomy Picture of the Day - New Sharpest Image of the Sun Uncovers Instability

NASA ^ | 6 Aug, 2026 | Image Credit: NSF, NSO, AURA, MPS, Inouye Tel.

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: What does the new sharpest image of our Sun show? Instability. To be clear, a certain kind of interactive process called the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI). This instability can create waves and swirls when two streams flow past each other -- in this case variable streams of solar magnetic plasma. Long hypothesized to occur on the Sun's surface, KHI streaks and swirls were confirmed in just-released dramatic high-resolution images taken recently by the Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii, USA. The featured false-yellow image, actually taken in deep blue, is the highest resolution image yet of the Sun in visible light. It spans about the radius of the Earth, but its finest details are city sized. Visible are several smooth tops of changing solar granules, while the edges of the flower-like structures have been found to harbor multiple KHI swirls. Future research may investigate how the KHI helps move energy and magnetic fields, and may even heat the surrounding solar corona.

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[Sirius Lee]

It better not.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Kelvin Helmholtz? I know the guy!

[SkyDancer]

Global warming is doing that to the sun.

[Mark]

I believe that GOD has the answer.

[Red Badger]

” It spans about the radius of the Earth, but its finest details are city sized.”

Imagine that almost the entire earth could practically fit inside that.................

[Buttons12]

Unstable. So, where exactly is the sun, on the hot/crazy matrix?

[fidelis]

[telescope115]

That is amazing photography, and the details are mind-boggling.

[lee martell]

So, one who studies this special area of science would be called a Sun-ologist, apparently.
Unless they choose instead, to use Greek or Latin names for the Sun.

[Getready]

Kelvin Helmholtz is a racist, colonial, societal construct!

[onona]

Sol Man ! Hat tip to Sam and Dave

[BenLurkin]

That would make an awesome jigsaw puzzle.

[omni-scientist]

My guess would be heliologist.

[lee martell]

That’s Greek to me!

[SkyDancer]

Scary, huh?

[TigersEye]

I’ve seen that leaf motif on a tablecloth before.

[Bullish]

So the sun looks like a cheesy potato casserole?