Scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in solar observation, developing coronal adaptive optics to capture the clearest images of the Sun's corona to date. This technology compensates for atmospheric turbulence, providing unprecedented detail of the Sun's enigmatic outer layer.
The new system, named 'Cona,' is installed at the 1.6-meter Goode Solar Telescope (GST) at Big Bear Solar Observatory in California. It utilizes a mirror that reshapes itself 2,200 times per second to counteract image degradation caused by air turbulence. This allows for observations with a resolution of up to 63 kilometers, a tenfold improvement over previous ground-based systems.
The resulting images reveal fine structures and dynamic phenomena in the corona, including turbulent flows within solar prominences and the formation of plasma streams. These advancements, published in Nature Astronomy on May 27, 2025, pave the way for deeper insights into space weather and the Sun's behavior, particularly the long-standing mystery of coronal heating. The new system marks a pivotal step forward in overcoming observational challenges imposed by Earth's turbulent atmosphere.