National Solar Observatory

09/01/2026

☀️ What if we could listen to the Sun to reveal its invisible magnetic field?

National Science Foundation (NSF) NSO scientist Dr. Alin Paraschiv has developed a new technique that combines observations of polarized light with waves traveling through the Sun’s atmosphere to infer the 3D strength and direction of its coronal magnetic field.

By bringing these different clues together, the approach could help make measurements of the Sun’s magnetic field more routine, and improve our understanding of solar activity and space weather.

Read the full story below.

09/01/2026

Solar Activity Report: August 24-30, 2026

Solar activity varied from very low to medium levels during the reporting period.

Seven M‑class flares were recorded during the first three days, all originating from Active Region 14513, followed by a gradual decline to low activity.

Peak activity occurred between midday August 24 and midday August 26, including the strongest event of the week: an M6.9 flare on August 25. In addition, several medium-to-high intensity flares were produced during this period.

From August 27 onward, the Sun remained quiet, producing only a few low‑intensity C‑class flares through August 30.

Far side helioseismic maps reveal several active regions on the far hemisphere. While most exhibit a low likelihood of appearing on the visible disk, an Active Region (14507 from the previous Carrington rotation) has a moderate probability of rotating onto the front side. Provided it does not decay, it is expected to return to the Earth‑facing hemisphere on September 4.

Data by NSF-NOAA GONG, operated by NSF NSO.
Additional Credits: Jain/Oien/NSF/GONG/NSO/AURA, with contributions by NOAA

08/26/2026

Solar Activity Report: August 17-23, 2026

Solar activity during the past week ranged from low to moderate levels. The first two and last two days were relatively quiet compared to the more active middle portion of the week. X‑ray flux remained in the B range with occasional low C‑class flares early on, but increased above B level as newly emerged active region 14513 approached the east limb. This region was the primary source of activity, producing four of the five M‑class flares observed.

The most active day was August 20, which featured three M‑class flares, including the strongest event of the week: an M8.1 flare. The remaining M‑class flares were low‑intensity events. In addition, active region 14517 generated a long‑duration event with a peak X‑ray flux equivalent to an M1.6 flare. No Earth‑directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were detected.

Data by NSF-NOAA GONG, operated by NSF NSO.
Additional Credits: Jain/Oien/NSF/GONG/NSO/AURA, with contributions by NOAA

08/19/2026

Following the Sun’s Shadow: NSO and the 2026 Total Solar Eclipse in Spain ☀️🌑 Months of preparation for just over 100 seconds of data collection!

Last week, scientists and graduate students from the NSF National Solar Observatory and CU Boulder joined forces with the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) in Palencia, Spain, for the 2026 total solar eclipse.

This effort served as the training ground for Project NATE (North African Telescope Eclipse). By coordinating a distributed network of telescopes along the path of totality, scientists can effectively "follow" the Moon’s shadow to create longer, continuous views of the solar corona, a technique building on the success of the Citizen CATE campaigns in the U.S.

From student training and telescope calibrations to public science talks at the local Teatro Principal, the team laid critical groundwork for an even bigger target: the extraordinary 2027 total solar eclipse across North Africa.

Read the full blog post to see the first images of totality and read personal reflections from our student observers.

NSO and CU Boulder researchers joined international partners in Spain during the 2026 total solar eclipse to test hardware and train teams for Project NATE.

08/18/2026

Solar Activity Report: August 10-16, 2026

Solar activity during the reporting week remained at very low to low levels. The X‑ray flux was generally in the B range, with only a few low‑intensity C‑class flares. Most days - except August 13 - produced multiple low C‑class events. The most active day was August 16, when AR 14506 generated a C8.2 flare along with several additional C‑class flares, raising the X‑ray flux to the C level.

The latest helioseismic map of the far hemisphere reveals a medium‑sized active region situated near the equator in the northern hemisphere may rotate into Earth view around August 19.

During the August 12 solar eclipse, the NSF-NOAA GONG station in Tenerife, Canary Islands, captured the event, while NSO scientists conducted solar eclipse experiments in Spain.

Data by NSF-NOAA GONG, operated by NSF NSO.
Additional Credits: Jain/Oien/NSF/GONG/NSO/AURA, with contributions by NOAA.

08/12/2026

Here’s a snapshot of today’s partial solar as seen by the NSF-NOAA GONG station in Tenerife, Canary Islands!

08/12/2026

Happy Eclipse Day! ☀️🌑

Today, a total solar eclipse is sweeping across northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland, Spain, and a section of northeastern Portugal. While we won't see totality here in the U.S. this time around, our NSO scientists are on the ground in Spain conducting experiments in the moon's shadow to study the Sun's corona! 🔭🇪🇸

However, parts of the U.S. will see a partial solar eclipse. If you’re in Alaska, your partial eclipse is starting this morning. If you're in the Northeast U.S., look out for partial coverage in the early afternoon. Check online for exact timing in your city! ⏰

⚠️ Safety First: Never look directly at the Sun without certified eclipse glasses! 😎

Since the U.S. is mostly missing out on the main event, we’re throwing it back to some of our favorite moments from the 2024 North American total solar eclipse! 📸

Eclipse details: https://bit.ly/4bLnxzy

Eclipse image credit: Sang Lapine, SuperKT Carbondale, IL (2024)

08/12/2026

Eyes to the sky. There's a total solar eclipse today. 🌒

As the moon passes in between the sun and Earth, it provides a unique opportunity for researchers to examine everything from the solar corona to impacts on planetary bodies, including Earth. The path of totality — the path at which the sun will be completely blocked by the moon — will include the Arctic Ocean, Greenland, Iceland, Atlantic Ocean, Portugal and northern Spain.

See how much of the eclipse can be viewed: https://brnw.ch/21x4Sg2

From webcasts to making a pinhole camera, NSF National Solar Observatory assembled a list of eclipse resources: https://brnw.ch/21x4Sg3.

📸: Charlotte Geary/NSF

08/11/2026

We're at American Astronomical Society 57th meeting of the Solar Physics Division ☀️ We are thrilled to engage and share our latest updates with the solar physics community including:

📊 Presentations and poster sessions with our scientists
🏛️ NSO Town Hall updates including the National Science Foundation (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, NSF-NOAA GONG, and ngGONG
🥽 NSO Booth: VR demos for an immersive tour of the Inouye Solar Telescope!
📸 Part of the NSO team at SPD57

08/05/2026

☀️ A major breakthrough in solar physics!

Scientists using the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) have made a major breakthrough in solar physics, discovering Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability on the surface of the Sun, a finding that could help explain explosive solar activity and other solar phenomena.

The tiny, swirling, whirlpool-like patterns revealed by Inouye may help explain how magnetic energy builds up and moves around on the Sun, fueling solar flares, eruptions, and other activity that can influence space weather and technology here on Earth.

Published today in Nature, this discovery opens a new window into the fundamental physics of the Sun and other stars while highlighting the unmatched capabilities of the world's most powerful solar telescope.

Read the full story: https://nso.edu/press-release/nsf-inouye-solar-telescope-enables-major-discovery-of-a-hidden-solar-process/