Researchers have directly observed swirling plasma whirlpools on the sun’s surface for the first time, confirming a long-theorized fluid instability called Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs) that could explain solar flares and the sun’s mysteriously hot outer atmosphere. The discovery, captured by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, reveals structures as small as 12 miles across, with implications for space weather forecasting and solar physics.
A First-Time Glimpse of Solar Vortices
For the first time, astronomers have directly imaged swirling plasma whirlpools on the sun’s photosphere, confirming a decades-old theory about Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs). These vortices, described as tiny, fine-scale structures
by study co-author David Kuridze, were observed using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, which has the highest resolution of any solar observatory. The findings, published in Nature on August 5, 2026, offer new insights into how the sun’s magnetic fields might generate solar flares and heat its outer atmosphere to millions of degrees.
This is something we have never seen before in any solar observations,
Kuridze said, describing his initial reaction to the images. The vortices, which resemble cream stirred into coffee, form where two fluids move at different speeds—a dynamic long theorized to exist in the sun’s plasma but never directly confirmed. Kuridze added.
How DKIST Captured the Unseen
The breakthrough came from the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope’s unprecedented resolving power, which allows it to detect features as small as 12 miles across on the sun’s surface. This capability, equivalent to spotting ants crawling on Earth from 100 miles up, enabled the team to examine active regions near sunspots where magnetic fields are concentrated. By comparing observations with computer simulations, researchers confirmed the vortices matched theoretical predictions of KHIs.
The telescope’s 13-foot-wide mirror, the largest of any solar telescope, was critical in capturing the fine details.
Implications for Solar Physics and Space Weather
The discovery has major implications for understanding solar activity. The vortices, which could fit inside a city, might help explain how magnetic fields on the sun become tangled and release energy in flares. This process could contribute to the sun’s corona—its outer atmosphere—being millions of degrees hotter than its surface, a decades-old mystery.
The study suggests that KHIs could play a role in transferring energy from the sun’s surface to its corona, potentially solving this long-standing puzzle.
A New Era in Solar Observation
The findings mark a milestone in solar physics, with experts calling it a major breakthrough.
Mihalis Mathioudakis, an astrophysicist not involved in the study, praised the work, stating that the direct images will stand the test of time and be undisputed.
The research also highlights the importance of high-resolution telescopes like the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in advancing solar science.
This is a major breakthrough in solar physics,
said Mihalis Mathioudakis, an astrophysicist at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland who was not involved in the research. And because the results come from direct images of the sun, they will stand the test of time and be undisputed.
The study’s authors plan to use data to further investigate how KHIs interact with solar magnetic fields and influence space weather events that can disrupt satellites, GPS signals and power grids on Earth.
Researchers are now focusing on how these vortices might contribute to solar flares and coronal mass ejections, which can impact Earth’s technological systems. The team plans to analyze more data to refine their models of solar activity.
The study, published in Nature, underscores the transformative potential of the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. As the telescope continues to provide high-resolution images of the sun, it may unlock new insights into the mechanisms driving solar activity. For now, the discovery of KHIs offers a critical piece of the puzzle in understanding the sun’s complex behavior and its effects on the solar system.
