ALMA Sees Sun in New Light

13 January, 2017 / Read time: 1 minute

This video presents 2 images of the Sun captured by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The first image was captured by only one antenna, while for the other one several antennas of the array were used, allowing a zoom effect on the star.

Being a radio telescope that captures millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths, the light received by the antennas is different from what our eyes can see. ALMA captured the light coming from the chromosphere, a thin layer in the Sun's atmosphere composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, and provided interesting insights into the dynamics of our star.

Credits:
Written and Narrated by Charles Blue (NRAO/AUI/NSF)
Produced by Alexandra Angelich (NRAO/AUI/NSF)
Images ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); B. Saxton, J. Hellerman, M. Kaufman, and A. Isella (NRAO/AUI/NSF); HST (ESA/NASA); SOHO (ESA/NASA)
Music: Mark Mercury