New images of the sun’s surface reveal a strange and dynamic facade

By the Editorial Team · Friday, August 7, 2026

Scientists used the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope to capture the highest-resolution images of the sun’s surface, revealing ripple-like patterns caused by magnetized plasma interactions known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. These findings enhance understanding of solar dynamics and could improve predictions of solar activity that affect Earth's technology and communications.

Scientists have captured the most detailed images yet of the sun’s surface, revealing complex and unusual patterns that challenge previous understandings of solar dynamics. The images were obtained using the National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii, originally as part of efforts to test and refine the telescope’s capabilities.

Upon reviewing the data, researchers found that they had recorded the sun’s outer layer at an unprecedented resolution. The imagery revealed feathery, ripple-like structures across the solar surface, reminiscent of famous swirling patterns seen in artwork such as Vincent van Gogh’s "Starry Night," according to Stanford University solar physicist Ruizhu Chen, who was not involved in the study.

These ripples are caused by the interaction of magnetized plasma moving at different speeds, a phenomenon known as the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. This effect occurs when fluid layers slide past one another, producing wave-like motions similar to ripples created when wind blows over water. While this type of instability has been observed on Earth and other planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, co-author Friedrich Wöger of the National Solar Observatory noted that it had never before been clearly identified at this scale on the sun’s surface.

The new findings, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, provide valuable insights into solar physics and may enhance scientists’ ability to understand and predict solar activity. Studying the sun’s surface behavior is particularly important for tracking coronal mass ejections—massive bursts of solar plasma and magnetic fields that can travel toward Earth. When these eruptions interact with the planet’s magnetic environment, they can disrupt GPS and communications systems and create striking auroral displays.

By improving knowledge of the sun’s dynamic surface features and underlying plasma interactions, researchers hope to better anticipate space weather events that have the potential to impact technological infrastructure on Earth.

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