Researchers have gained an unprecedented look into a layer of the Sun known as the chromosphere, uncovering a complex and dynamic world that, until now, has remained largely a mystery.
The insight comes as a result of the highest-resolution images to date in ultraviolet light of the region, which falls between the Sun's visible surface and outer atmosphere known as the corona.
The temperature in the chromosphere rises from roughly 10,340 degrees Fahrenheit at the Sun's surface to more than 35,540 degrees, with material of various degrees dispersed over a range of heights. Constantly in motion, temperatures increase further into the corona, though scientists do not know what powers this heating process.
"In order to solve this riddle it is necessary to take as close a look as possible at the chromosphere -- in all accessible wavelengths," said Sami Solanki, a researcher from the Max Planck Institute and the principal investigator of the latest study, which used an instrument known as Sunrise to filter certain ultraviolet wavelengths only emitted from the chromosphere.
Equipped with a one-meter mirror and weighing 7,000 pounds, Sunrise is the largest solar telescope to fly above the atmosphere, collecting data as it made its way from northern Sweden to northern Canada.
The resulting images depict a complex realm containing quiet regions 600 miles in diameter and surrounded by bright rims -- a pattern created by the solar material rising up from within the Sun before cooling and sinking back down.
The images also highlight in greater contrast than ever before eye-catching flashes scientists believe are signs of so-called magnetic flux tubes, considered the building blocks of the Sun's magnetic field.
According to Solanki, the findings provide a foundation for future studies of the chromosphere.
"These first analyses are extremely promising," he said. "They show that the ultraviolet radiation from the chromosphere is highly suitable for visualizing detailed structures and processes."