--- title: "Close-Up Images of Sunspots Look Like Horrible Gaping Mouths" description: "Enhance Using the recently upgraded GREGOR telescope on Tenerife, Spain, Europe’s largest solar telescope, researchers zoomed in on the surface of the Sun to study its magnetism and how it influences the Earth — and what they saw is absolutely terrifying. They were able to get close enough to identify features as small as 50 […]" date: "2020-09-04" modified: "2020-09-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/close-up-images-sunspots-mouths" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "gregor" - "Sun" - "sunspots" - "the digest" --- # Close-Up Images of Sunspots Look Like Horrible Gaping Mouths ![Using the recently upgraded GREGOR telescope on Tenerife, Spain, researchers zoomed in on the surface of the Sun to study its magnetism.]() *\Image: ESO\* ## Enhance Using Europe's largest solar telescope GREGOR, researchers [zoomed in on the surface]() of the Sun to study its magnetism and how it influences the Earth — and what they saw is absolutely terrifying. ![]() They were able to get close enough to identify features as small as 50 kilometers across, the equivalent of spotting a needle on a soccer field from an entire kilometer away, according to [a statement](). ## Telescope Upgrades Telescope optics suffer from many of the same problems as glasses wearers who have the wrong prescription, resulting in blurry vision. These issues tend to be caused by fabrication issues involved in constructing the telescope's numerous elements. The team was able to correct for some of these issues on GREGOR by realigning its elements and making several mechanical upgrades, as outlined in a [new paper]() published in the journal *Astronomy & Astrophysics*. One of these issues was an astigmatism, another issue plaguing both human and telescopic vision. They eliminated it by polishing six nanometers off the 'scope's massive parabolic mirrors, or about 10,000th the diameter of a human hair. ## Gaping Maw Thanks to the upgrades, the team was able to get a detailed look at the Sun's mysterious sunspots, strange and relatively cool spots that dot the surface of our star. Magnetic fields are very strong in these areas, trapping the heat within. And as it turns out, they look absolutely terrifying when viewed from Earth — like a horrible gaping mouth. **READ MORE:** [New High-Res Images of The Sun Show How Creepy Sunspots Look in Closeup]() \[*Science Alert*\] **More on the Sun:** *[Scientists Found Something Surprising in Closest-Ever Photos of the Sun]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()