Astronomers have captured the highest-resolution images yet of the sun's surface, revealing swirling patterns of hot plasma in unprecedented detail.

The footage, taken by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii and released on August 5, shows whirlpool-like magnetic plasma swirls, each spanning 19 to 170 kilometers across, with patterns resembling Van Gogh's Starry Night. Researchers say the discovery could help explain how energy builds up on the sun and triggers solar flares and eruptions.