A black spot the size of Earth appears on the Sun

The world's largest solar telescope photographed the giant sunspot present on this star in late February.

Spacecraft like NASA's Parker Solar Probe or NASA's Solar Orbiter and the European Space Agency (ESA) help scientists better understand the Sun. However, the new Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii shows that you don't have to go into space to gather valuable scientific information about this star.

The sunspot was taken in February 2022.

The National Solar Observatory (NSO) on March 1 shared an impressive sunspot image of the Daniel K. Inouye telescope on Twitter. The diameter of the sunspot's shadow (called the umbra) is approximately the same as the diameter of Earth, NSO said.

The photo was taken when the Parker Solar Probe approached the Sun to make a close flyby of the star on February 25. The observations by the Daniel K. Inouye telescope can be combined with data collected by the Parker Solar Probe to create a more comprehensive data series of phenomena on the Sun.

The Daniel K. Inouye telescope was developed by the US National Science Foundation (USNSF). The instrument officially made its first scientific observations in February. It is the world's largest Solar telescope, built to provide high-resolution images of the Sun with high resolution. unprecedented details.

"Collecting the first scientific observations with the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope marks an exciting moment for the scientific community that studies the Sun. There is no other instrument quite like this telescope. This is a foundation that will help advance our understanding of the Sun by providing excellent observational opportunities for researchers," said astronomer Thomas Rimmele, director of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope project. .

The Daniel K. Inouye telescope can photograph structures as small as 20 km in diameter. It will help scientists study and predict solar events that may affect Earth.

The sun is becoming more active. NASA and ESA's Solar Orbiter also photographed a massive eruption on the Sun last month. The Daniel K. Inouye telescope started working just in time to record eruptions, sunspots and changes in space weather. In the near future, this device may provide more impressive images of the Sun.