Granulation
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Quiet Sun, granulation and bright points (1/4)
Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope
Observations made with the CHROMIS instrument at the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope in the Ca II K 3934 A line. One image was taken in the wing of the line, while the other was taken at the center of the line on May 25, 2017.
The observations show the Sun's surface in a quiet area with very little activity. The main feature seen here is the solar granulation produced by convective movements. Embedded in the darker regions (called intergranular lanes) some bright points can be observed. Magnetic bright points represent features with intense magnetic fields (of the order of 1000-2000 G). They appear bright in continuum intensity because they are evacuated (less dense), and therefore less opaque than the surroundings, so that we observe deeper into the solar atmosphere where the temperature is higher.
The image in the center of the line shows a different picture, even though we are looking at the same field of view. Here we are seeing a higher layer in the Sun's atmosphere where a plethora of fibrils dominate the scene. At this height the magnetic field completely dominates over convection and thus one sees the magnetic field lines (where plasma "hangs" and gets trapped) as they connect opposite polarities in the Sun.
Image credit: Vasco Henriques and Ainar Drews (ITA, University of Oslo)
Text written by A. Ortiz (ITA, University of Oslo)