science βοΈ Unseen whirlpools spotted on the Sun's surface
Scientists have captured never-before-seen plasma vortices swirling across the Sun's surface. This discovery was made by researchers from NSF NSO, MPS, and HAO, using the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. These tiny structures, about 20 kilometers across, appear along the boundaries of solar granules. Experts believe these vortices are evidence of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, which might explain how the Sun stores magnetic energy. This finding could offer a clue to the Sun's rapid eleven-year magnetic cycle. π§