Scientists from the NSF National Solar Observatory and NJIT produced the finest images of the Sun's corona to date using a new coronal adaptive optics system. Results published in Nature Astronomy.
May 2025 — Schmidt, Schad, Yurchyshyn, Gorceix, Rimmele, Goode
High spatial and temporal resolution of the GST instruments allowed analysis of sunspot decay. Area and total magnetic flux display an exponential decrease, with 22 moving magnetic features identified.
June 2023 — Astron. Astrophys., 686, id.A75
NIRIS magnetograms combined with HMI magnetograms and nonlinear force-free field models revealed a field-free region and different velocity structures inside light bridges.
August 2022 — Astrophys. J. Lett., 935, L27
High-resolution H-alpha images from the GST show spicules along a chromospheric network present similar scales to the medium scale of Parker Solar Probe switchbacks.
August 2022 — Lee et al., Astrophys. J. Lett., 935, L27
NIRIS data revealed thin flux tubes of 200-400 km in diameter with field strength of 1000-2000 G. HMI power spectra exhibited the same spectral index of -1 across spatial scales.
March 2022 — Astrophys. J., 928, 41
Flare emission/absorption in helium line 10830 at multiple spectral positions observed with the GST.
January 2022
Earth is reflecting less light. It's not clear if that's a trend.
January 2022
Analysis of quiet-sun turbulence on the basis of SDO/HMI and Goode Solar Telescope data.
September 2020 — MNRAS, 497, Issue 4, 5405-5412
Physical characteristics of umbral dots derived from high-resolution observations.
April 2020
Dynamic Type II spicules may result from component reconnection.
March 2020
Formation of solar spicules and subsequent coronal heating unveiled.
November 2019
Plasma vortices observed in the sunspot umbra.
September 2019
High-resolution observations of dynamics of superpenumbral H-alpha fibrils.
August 2019
Flame-like Ellerman bombs and their connection to solar ultraviolet bursts.
April 2019
Magnetic field dynamics and varying plasma emission in large-scale coronal loops.
March 2019
Evolution of photospheric vector magnetic field associated with moving flare ribbons.
January 2019
GST sees new structures in sunspot light bridges.
September 2018
Reconnection jets observed inside a sunspot.
February 2018
GST detects very strong transverse photospheric magnetic fields.
January 2018
Additional nuggets dating back to 2010 are available on the original BBSO science nuggets page.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy featured BBSO in its Science and Technology Highlights report. (Original PDF no longer available)
Development of the Wide-band High-resolution Imaging Spectro-Polarimetric Explorer (WHISPER) for the Goode Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory.
NSF SOLIS facility, operated by NSO at Big Bear Solar Observatory, installed two out of the three instruments!
BBSO Summer School — annual solar physics training program.
NSF Appoints BBSO Director Wenda Cao to Its Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee. (Original article no longer available)
NJIT Awarded NSF Grant to Open Undergrad Space Weather Research Program. (Original article no longer available)
Big Bear Solar Observatory Becomes Home to NSF's SOLIS Telescope. (Original article no longer available)
NSF's Study Assesses 30 Years of Landmark Astronomical Advances, Highlights NJIT's Big Bear.
