National Solar Observatory

A look beneath the National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope's M1 mirror! Weighing in at 3.3 metric tons, this 75mm-thick Zerodur glass mirror is supported and shaped by 142 actuators that counteract distortions mostly due to gravity’s pull and solar heating as it moves to observe the Sun. With a total assembly mass of 12.3 metric tons (mirror and mirror cell assembly), this powerhouse of precision helps keep our view of the Sun as clear as possible. #NSFfunded #InouyseSolarTelescope

When the National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope isn’t “on-Sun”, important and interesting engineering tasks are happening behind the scenes. During maintenance, the main motors that move the telescope are typically de-energized and locked out to allow NSO’s engineers and technicians to safely work on the telescope. In these cases, someone manually moves the telescope by hand-cranking it into position. The Altitude moving mass is about 105 U.S. tons or 21,000 lbs - that’s like hand-cranking 16 adult African elephants into position! Here, the telescope is at the M1 Maintenance position (104-degree elevation) where the central area of the telescope’s OSS (Optical Support Structure) is accessible via a built-in walkway. The telescope is then moved back into the normal stowed position (20-degree elevation). Image Credit: Sean Paulsen & Brad Wickham

We're honored to be a part of Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa?s new Kuleana Series! NSO's Dr. Sarah Jaeggli, an astronomer at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Solar Inouye Solar Telescope, is one of 11 “Living Portraits” located at the resort, where guests can use their phones to watch the portraits come to life through augmented reality. Dr. Jaeggli shares the important role the Inouye Solar Telescope has in solar astronomy from its unique location near the summit of Haleakalā, Maui. Resort staff and guests, the Living Portrait features, and participating organizations recently celebrated its launch.

Ever wonder what it takes to clean the world's largest mirror for ground-based solar observations? At the National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, a team of 4-5 NSO team members use a mix of gas and small, condensed CO2 dry ice particles to "snow clean" the M1 mirror. This happens about every three weeks as general maintenance, but annually, the M1 will undergo a wet wash for a deeper clean. #NSFfunded #InouyeSolarTelescope

Thank you to our partners, teachers, and students for another amazing Journey Through the Universe Maui! Here?s a look back at the NSO team and partner volunteers as they explored the wonders of space with the Maui community.

National Science Foundation (NSF) GONG turns 30! ?? GONG consists of six NSO-operated solar telescopes around the world that have provided near continuous solar observations for three decades, delivering critical data to the global scientific and operational space weather communities. Join us in celebrating #30YearsofGONG as we recognize each station and some of the dedicated people who have kept its sights on the Sun! ?? 1-2: The first GONG station received first light on February 17, 1995, on Mount Teide in Tenerife, Canary Islands. The Tenerife crew pose with the newly established GONG station. ?? 3: Antonio Pimienta, an Observer skilled in many technical roles, was known by many as “Antonio MacGyver”. He managed the electrical, mechanical, and repair work at GONG-TD, playing a fundamental role in the station’s continued performance over 30 years. ?? 4: Jesús Patrón, an NSO Laboratory Assistant who later became a postdoc researcher and Project Manager at the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands (IAC), conducted innovative PhD research on Ring Diagram Analysis - now a key component of GONG’s data pipeline. While his career led him to major instrumentation projects at the IAC, he was a committed volunteer caretaker of GONG-TD. His dedication, management, and affection for the station were instrumental in ensuring its long-term success. #NSFfunded

Journey Through the Universe Maui is underway! This week, the NSO team from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Inouye Solar Telescope and partners from space-related organizations are visiting Maui classrooms to share the wonders of the universe and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. Journey will conclude tomorrow with a free public stargazing event in partnership with ‘Ohana Kilo Hōkū and UH IfA.

?? Looking back at 2024's solar activity! ?? In 2024, we saw the solar cycle approach its maximum with a surge in activity. We hit the highest international sunspot number in July with 196.5 (monthly average). The total yearly sunspot number for 2024 is 154.6 - compared to just 3.6 in 2019! Source: WDC-SILSO, Royal Observatory of Belgium, Brussels. ?? What’s a sunspot number? It’s a calculated index that reflects solar activity on the visible disk of the Sun, NOT the number of sunspots themselves. As we near the solar maximum, these higher numbers reflect an increase in solar storms and overall Sun activity! ?? This image, using data from the National Science Foundation (NSF) GONG stations operated by the NSO, is a composition of 2024’s solar activity. The image at 1 o’clock is January and each subsequent month is represented in a clockwise direction. The center image is the cumulation for the full year. The image shows the sunspots on the visible surface of the Sun, whereas the second image in h-alpha observes the chromosphere, revealing things like solar filaments, prominences, flares, plages, and more.

Meet Stacey and Brialyn, two Akamai Internship Program alumni and current team members at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope. Hear about how the Akamai Internship helped bridge their Hawai'i upbringing and interest in STEM to their careers at the Inouye Solar Telescope. ?? Reminder that TODAY is the deadline to apply for the 2025 Akamai Internship Porgram: www.akamaihawaii.org

Scientists from all over the world request observations with the National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope through an open proposal process. The successful proposals have experiments generated, scheduled and observed through the hard work of a dedicated team of NSO experts including scientists, Science Operations Specialists (SOSs), engineers, technicians, and other support staff. From the Inouye Control Room, SOSs execute observations that have been reviewed and awarded time by the Time Allocation Committee, or TAC, a group of solar science experts drawn from the wider solar science community.