{"id":110238,"date":"2020-01-29T08:48:14","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T18:48:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=110238"},"modified":"2020-08-07T12:17:56","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T22:17:56","slug":"first-light-inouye-solar-telescope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/01\/29\/first-light-inouye-solar-telescope\/","title":{"rendered":"Never-before-seen images of Sun released from world\u2019s largest solar telescope"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_34631\"  width=\"676\" height=\"676\"  data-origwidth=\"676\" data-origheight=\"676\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bNnxCPMclGo?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"Never-before-seen images of Sun released from world\u2019s largest solar telescope\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>Researchers and the general public are getting a glimpse of the most detailed view ever of the Sun, thanks to the National Science Foundation\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nso.edu\/telescopes\/dki-solar-telescope\/\">Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope<\/a> (<abbr>DKIST<\/abbr>) on Haleakal\u0101, Maui. The imagery, released January 29, 2020, shows cell-like structures the size of Texas roiling on the Sun\u2019s surface and the tiny footprints of magnetism that reach into space.<\/p>\n<p>Scientists operating the Inouye Solar Telescope said the unprecedented detail demonstrates the sheer power of the ground-based telescope to map the magnetic fields within the Sun\u2019s corona, where solar eruptions occur that impact life on Earth. Such activity can disrupt air travel, cause blackouts, and even disable technologies such as <abbr>GPS<\/abbr> used for navigation.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It is literally the greatest leap in humanity\u2019s ability to study the Sun from the ground since Galileo\u2019s time. It\u2019s a big deal,&rdquo; said Professor <strong>Jeff Kuhn<\/strong> of the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ifa.hawaii.edu\/\">Institute for Astronomy<\/a> (<abbr>IfA<\/abbr>).<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_110246\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110246\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-solar-instrument.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-solar-instrument-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Solar instrument, click for larger image\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-110246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-solar-instrument-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-solar-instrument-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-solar-instrument-630x353.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-solar-instrument.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-110246\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This instrument built by <abbr title=\"Institute for Astronomy\">IfA<\/abbr> will allow the Inouye Telescope to view the Sun\u2019s magnetic fields.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><abbr>DKIST<\/abbr> will be even more powerful after a suite of state-of-the-art instruments come online in the coming months. A team of <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> scientists constructed two complex infrared instruments that ultimately will allow scientists to predict the Sun\u2019s magnetic activity and solar storms. The first is called the Cryogenic Near-Infrared Spectropolarimeter (Cryo<abbr>NIRSP<\/abbr>). The nearly 2-ton instrument is designed to measure the Sun\u2019s magnetism beyond the visible solar disk. The second, called the Diffraction-Limited Near-<abbr>IR<\/abbr> Spectropolarimeter (<abbr>DL-NIRSP<\/abbr>), will allow <abbr>DKIST<\/abbr> to view the evolution of the Sun\u2019s magnetic fields in extreme detail.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related <em><abbr>UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> story:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2017\/04\/12\/dkist-infrared-instrument\/\"><span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span>-built infrared instrument for world\u2019s largest solar telescope catches first rays<\/a>, April 12, 2017<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&ldquo;These instruments use sensitive infrared technology and complex optics that reveal sunspots and small magnetic features, and how their magnetism reaches into space. With these new tools we expect to learn how the Sun interacts with the Earth,&rdquo; Kuhn said.<\/p>\n<h2>Solar research at the House of the Sun<\/h2>\n<p><abbr>DKIST<\/abbr> is by far the world\u2019s largest and most powerful solar telescope, and stands on the 10,000-foot summit of Maui\u2019s majestic Haleakal\u0101, which literally means &ldquo;the house of the Sun.&rdquo; Haleakal\u0101\u2019s favorable atmospheric conditions provide the best location for it, as proven by the National Solar Observatory and <abbr>IfA<\/abbr> during a world-wide site survey.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_110243\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110243\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-exterior-day.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-exterior-day-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Inouye Telescope, click for larger image\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-110243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-exterior-day-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-exterior-day-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-exterior-day-630x353.jpg 630w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-exterior-day.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-110243\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inouye Telescope (Photo courtesy: National Science Foundation)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The unusual optical design of the 4-meter telescope allows it to measure the Sun\u2019s magnetism out into space. It is also modeled after the <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">UH<\/abbr>\/<abbr>IfA<\/abbr> designed proof-of-concept <abbr>SOLARC<\/abbr> telescope, in operation on Haleakal\u0101 since 2001. Once the Inouye Solar Telescope becomes fully operational in July 2020, <abbr>UH<\/abbr> community astronomers will be major users of the telescope while doing pioneering solar research.<\/p>\n<p><abbr>UH<\/abbr> Maui College was also awarded a $20-million grant from the National Science Foundation, to engage Native Hawaiian students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (<abbr>STEM<\/abbr>). The Akeakamai I Ka L\u0101 Hiki Ola: Scientific Exploration Beneath the Life-Bringing Sun program will incorporate traditional cultural practices within its curriculum. The grant awards the program $2 million each year over the course of a decade. Part of the funding will go toward financial aid and paid internships for Native Hawaiians.<\/p>\n<p>While the 4-meter solar telescope isn\u2019t set to be completed until June, scientists will continue preliminary tests by making observations of the Sun in the coming months. But pointing a telescope directly at the scalding sphere comes with challenges. The Sun\u2019s sweltering surface temperature is about 6,000 degrees Celsius. A specialized cooling system is in place to protect <abbr>DKIST<\/abbr> from massive amounts of heat.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The focus of the telescope mirror is hot enough to melt metal within a short time. To deal with these heat problems we make the equivalent of a swimming pool full of ice every night to provide cooling for the optics and structure during the day,&rdquo; said Inouye Solar Telescope Director Thomas Rimmele. More than 7 miles of piping will distribute coolant throughout the observatory.<\/p>\n<p>The state-of-the-art telescope was renamed in honor of the late <abbr title=\"Senator\">Sen<\/abbr>. Daniel K. Inouye, a strong supporter of <abbr>STEM<\/abbr> education.<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8212;By <span aria-label=\"Moanikeala\">Moanike&#699;ala<\/span> Nabarro<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_110258\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-110258\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-first-light-detail.jpg\" alt=\"Detail of the surface of the sun by the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope\" width=\"676\" height=\"381\" class=\"size-full wp-image-110258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-first-light-detail.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-first-light-detail-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/manoa-ifa-dkist-first-light-detail-130x73.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-110258\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Detail of the surface of the sun captured by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, (Image credit: <abbr>NSO\/AURA\/NSF<\/abbr>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New telescope on Maui detects cell-like structures the size of Texas roiling on the Sun\u2019s surface.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,12],"tags":[656,35,1363,9,56],"class_list":["post-110238","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","category-video","tag-haleakala","tag-institute-for-astronomy","tag-manoa-research","tag-uh-manoa","tag-video-2","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110238","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=110238"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124474,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110238\/revisions\/124474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=110238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=110238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=110238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}