Hinode Views the Sun's Surface Hinode's Solar Optical Telescope
is the first space-borne instrument to measure the strength and
direction of the sun's magnetic field in the sun's low
atmosphere, also called the photosphere. This image from the
Solar Optical Telescope shows a greatly magnified portion of the
solar surface. Energy from below the surface of the sun is
transported by convection and results in the convection cells,
or granulation, seen in this image. The lighter areas reveal
where gases are rising from below, while the darker
"intergranular lanes" reveal where cooler gases are sinking back
down. Image credit: Hinode JAXA/NASA/PPARC + View large image