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Connecting the Dots: FOXSI-3 Data Points add up to Unprecedented Image of Solar Corona

Scientists have begun analyzing data about the solar corona captured by the FOXSI-3 sounding rocket experiment. This is the world’s first solar corona data where each soft X-ray was captured with high contrast, and high resolution in position, time, and energy. While this alone is outstanding, by combining the data points astronomers can create unprecedented images and graphs.

The solar corona is a layer in the Sun’s atmosphere. It is filled with hot plasmas at temperatures of more than 1 million degrees Celsius. The corona is a dynamic environment where various energy releases occur, the most famous being solar flares. The coronal plasmas ejected by a solar flare can sometimes reach the Earth and affect our environment and technology. Thus, the study of the Sun has important practical applications.

The corona emits most of its light as X-rays. But X-rays are absorbed by the Earth’s atmosphere, so observations from space are required.

See:https://www.nao.ac.jp/en/news/topics/2019/20190115-solar.html