For the first time the ALMA radio telescope in Chile is being used to map and study the chromosphere of our sun. The chromosphere is just above the photosphere, the visible surface of the sun.

The following image was taken 18 December 2015 in the 1.25 millimeter wavelength of a large sunspot.

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By studying our sun using the ALMA telescope's ability to capture millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths scientist will gain a better understanding of the dynamics of our sun.

Looking at the same sunspot in the 3 mm wavelength reveals a layer of the chromosphere higher up above the sunspot. In the following image the distinct shape (seen before) of the sunspot is obscured.

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In this manner the ALMA radio telescope allows scientist to observe the activity within the different layers of the chromosphere.

The following image from the ALMA radio telescope is a full map of the sun's chromosphere in the 1.25 mm wavelength. Using just one of ALMA's 66 antennas scientists can create this low resolution map of the sun's disk in a few minutes.

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ALMA Radio Telescope

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Sources and Full Articles

Turtle the Size of 2 Earths: Stunning Sunspot Revealed in New Radio Images, Space.com, 17 January 2017

How the Huge ALMA Radio Telescope Works (Infographic), Space.com, 12 March 2013

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