Press Release 05-178
Solar Telescope Yields Striking New Sunspot Images

This sunspot image shows what the new camera and adaptive optics system can do. Credit and Larger Version

October 6, 2005

Advanced technologies now available at the National Science Foundation's Dunn Solar Telescope at Sunspot, NM, are revealing striking details on the surface of the Sun.

This sunspot image, spanning an area more than three times wider than Earth, was made possible by a new high-resolution CCD camera working in conjunction with the Dunn telescope's recently completed adaptive optics image-correction system.

For more information, see the National Solar Observatory news release.

-NSF-

Media Contacts
M. Mitchell Waldrop, NSF (703) 292-7752 mwaldrop@nsf.gov
Dave Dooling, National Solar Observatory (505) 434-7015 dooling@nso.edu

Related Websites
The National Solar Observatory: http://www.nso.edu/
The NSO Press Release: http://www.nso.edu/press/DALSA/
The Richard B. Dunn Solar Telescope: http://nsosp.nso.edu/dst/

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2009, its budget is $9.5 billion, which includes $3.0 billion provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,900 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 44,400 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

 Get News Updates by Email 

Useful NSF Web Sites:
NSF Home Page: http://www.nsf.gov
NSF News: http://www.nsf.gov/news/
For the News Media: http://www.nsf.gov/news/newsroom.jsp
Science and Engineering Statistics: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/
Awards Searches: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/