Scientists Map the Sun’s Hidden Magnetic Field for the First Time
According to the Economic Desk of Webangah News Agency, the Sun undergoes periodic changes every few years, with dark spots appearing and disappearing, massive energy explosions erupting into space, and Earth briefly feeling the effects through disrupted satellites or power systems. These changes are driven by magnetism, but the core activity occurs deep within the Sun, far below the visible surface, a region previously inaccessible to direct observation.
A new study has now reconstructed a three-dimensional image of the Sun’s internal magnetic field using satellite data spanning several decades. For the first time, researchers can track the evolution of solar magnetism beneath the surface. The study’s team noted that observational techniques, including helioseismology, have been unable to estimate the Sun’s internal magnetic field until now.
The Sun’s magnetic field is generated by the movement of electrically charged hot gas within it, a process known as the solar dynamo. However, no instruments can directly measure magnetic fields in these deep layers. Satellites only record surface activity, leaving scientists to infer the rest.
In this study, researchers took a novel approach by basing their work on actual observations rather than theoretical models. They compiled daily magnetic field maps from solar satellites over nearly three decades, from 1996 to 2025. These maps reveal where magnetic fields emerge on the surface and how they evolve over time.
The team then fed this data into a sophisticated 3D computer model designed to simulate the Sun’s internal magnetic processes. The model continuously adjusted itself to remain physically consistent, allowing researchers to identify the most likely hidden magnetic structures and flows beneath the solar surface.
To validate the model, scientists tested its ability to reconstruct past solar cycles, which last approximately 11 years and mark periods of rising and falling solar activity. The model successfully replicated multiple cycles observed during the satellite era, including the gradual migration of sunspots from higher latitudes toward the solar equator—a key indicator of cycle progression.
The study’s authors claimed their data-driven model accurately reproduced critical observational features, such as the butterfly diagram of the surface, the precise evolution of the polar field, and the axial dipole moment. A final test involved halting new data inputs at specific points, allowing the model to predict solar activity independently. It correctly forecasted key solar features up to three or four years ahead.
This breakthrough signifies a shift in solar research, enabling scientists to indirectly monitor the Sun’s interior continuously. More reliable solar activity predictions could safeguard satellites, reduce risks to navigation systems, and provide early warnings for geomagnetic disruptions to power grid operators. However, the model’s effectiveness depends on uninterrupted long-term satellite missions.
Next, researchers aim to refine their technique to predict not only when solar activity will intensify but also where active regions on the Sun’s surface will form. The study was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters.
