The Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Hawaii has captured exceptionally detailed images showing swirling vortex structures near sunspots. The features, resolved at scales below about 20 kilometres, are believed to be Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities formed where fast-moving solar plasma meets slower material. Scientists say the observation may help explain how magnetic energy is transferred and why the Sun’s corona becomes far hotter than its visible surface. The images offer a new view of small-scale solar dynamics.