A newly discovered solar phenomenon could help scientists predict the Sun’s next powerful outburst and solar flare

The Sun may be even more turbulent than scientists realised. New observations from the world’s largest solar telescope have revealed tiny, rapidly swirling movements in the Sun’s plasma that could offer important clues about how powerful solar eruptions begin.

The discovery comes from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii, which has captured the most detailed views yet of the Sun’s surface. Researchers found evidence of a phenomenon known as the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) operating at the boundaries of highly magnetised regions on the solar surface.

The finding could help scientists understand how energy is transferred and stored in the Sun’s atmosphere before being released through violent events such as solar flares.


That matters on Earth. Powerful solar eruptions can send radiation and streams of charged particles into space, producing space weather that can interfere with satellites, communications, navigation systems and other technologies.

A closer look at the Sun reveals something unexpected

The new observations focus on an area of the solar surface measuring just 19 kilometres (12 miles) across. Despite the relatively small region, the telescope detected intricate movements in the superheated plasma that had remained hidden in earlier observations.

The Sun is not a solid surface. Its visible layer consists of extremely hot plasma, an electrically charged state of matter that is constantly moving. Its magnetic field also creates a complex and constantly changing environment.

Researchers examined areas containing millions of small magnetic structures known as solar magnetic elements. At the boundaries between these regions, they found swirling motions consistent with Kelvin-Helmholtz instability.

The phenomenon occurs when neighbouring layers of fluid move at different speeds. As the difference in motion grows, disturbances can develop into waves and eventually curl into whirlpool-like structures.

Similar instabilities have been observed in phenomena ranging from Earth's oceans and clouds to the atmospheres of planets such as Jupiter. Scientists had also found evidence of KHI in parts of the Sun's atmosphere, but directly observing it on the solar surface marks an important step forward.

Why these solar swirls could matter for flares

The significance of the discovery lies in what these turbulent movements may do to the Sun's magnetic field.

Solar magnetic fields can store enormous amounts of energy. When those fields become unstable or suddenly rearrange themselves, some of that stored energy can be released in the form of a solar flare.

The newly observed plasma motion could play a role in moving or concentrating energy near the Sun's surface. Over time, that process may contribute to the conditions that allow a solar eruption to occur.

Scientists are still working to determine exactly how the instability connects to flare formation. The discovery does not mean researchers can yet predict precisely when the next major solar flare will happen.

But it provides another piece of the puzzle.

Understanding how energy moves through the Sun's surface and atmosphere is essential to improving models of solar activity. If scientists can identify patterns that consistently appear before eruptions, those signals could eventually contribute to better space-weather forecasts.

Better solar images could improve space-weather warnings

The discovery was made possible in part by the extraordinary resolving power of the Inouye Solar Telescope, located near the summit of Haleakalā in Maui, Hawaii.

Its four-metre mirror allows astronomers to study structures on the Sun at an unprecedented level of detail. However, observing the solar surface from Earth presents another challenge: the atmosphere can blur the view.

Researchers corrected for atmospheric distortion to produce sharper images, allowing them to study extremely small structures and rapid movements in the plasma.

That ability could become increasingly important as scientists seek to understand the mechanisms behind solar flares and other forms of solar activity.

Space weather is not merely an astronomical concern. A major solar storm can disturb Earth's upper atmosphere and magnetic environment, potentially affecting radio communications, satellite operations, navigation and electrical infrastructure.

For this reason, even a small-scale process occurring on the Sun can have implications far beyond the star itself.

Could this discovery help predict the Sun's next eruption?

The researchers believe the newly observed instability could provide fresh insight into how energy travels from the Sun's interior toward its outer layers.

The next challenge is determining whether these plasma swirls reliably appear before particular types of solar eruptions. More observations will be needed to establish whether the phenomenon can serve as a useful warning signal rather than simply being another feature of the Sun's constantly changing surface.

That distinction is important. Solar flare prediction remains difficult, because the Sun's magnetic environment is extraordinarily complex.

Still, the ability to observe smaller structures could gradually improve scientists' understanding of what happens before an eruption. The more clearly researchers can trace the chain of events—from plasma motion to magnetic-field changes and finally to a flare—the better their models may become.

The findings, published in Nature on August 5, represent another advance in the effort to understand our nearest star.

The Sun can appear calm when viewed from a distance.

Up close, however, its surface is a constantly shifting landscape of magnetic fields and superheated plasma. The newly detected whirlpools suggest that some of the most important processes behind solar outbursts may be taking place on scales that scientists have only recently gained the ability to see.

Frequently asked questions

What did scientists discover on the Sun?

Researchers observed signs of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability on the Sun's surface, producing swirling motions in plasma near the boundaries of highly magnetised regions.

What is Kelvin-Helmholtz instability?

It is a fluid instability that can develop when two neighbouring layers move at different speeds. The resulting disturbances can form waves and curling, whirlpool-like structures.

Can this discovery predict solar flares?

Not yet. Scientists need more observations to determine whether the newly observed plasma movements consistently occur before solar flares. The discovery could nevertheless help improve future models of solar activity.

Why are solar flares important for Earth?

Powerful solar flares can produce radiation and contribute to space-weather disturbances. Strong solar activity can affect satellites, radio communications, navigation systems and other technologies operating around Earth.