The first detailed maps of the magnetic fields of the Sun’s corona were produced by the US National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope.

This milestone, published in the journal Science Advances, is expected to enhance our understanding of the Sun’s atmosphere and its effects on Earth.

The corona, the Sun’s outer atmosphere, greatly influences the solar winds and space weather.

Solar physicists have mapped the magnetic fields on the Sun’s surface, but the magnetic fields in the zones above the surface, such as the corona, where solar storms are generated, have not been mapped.

The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, the world’s most powerful solar telescope, has achieved a major breakthrough by directly mapping the strength of the magnetic field in the solar corona.

The telescope created the maps using the Zeeman effect, which measures magnetic properties by observing the splitting of spectral lines, which appear at specific wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum and represent light absorbed or emitted by atoms or molecules. These lines act like “fingerprints” as they are unique to each atom or molecule, allowing scientists to determine the chemical composition and physical properties of celestial objects. When exposed to a magnetic field, such as in the Sun, these lines break up, which gives us a picture of the object’s magnetic properties.

Scientists note that this mapping is essential for understanding and predicting space weather and for protecting technology on Earth and in space.