News · 6 August 2026
New Sun images reveal swirling 'whirlpools' on its surface
David (Deddy) Dayag via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
Scientists have captured the most detailed images ever of the Sun's surface, revealing previously unseen 'whirlpools' of activity. These twisting motions, called Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, are created by hot gases sliding past each other and generate magnetic energy. The new understanding could help explain space weather and why the Sun's outer atmosphere is so hot.
Reported by BBC · How we write briefs