China Commissions World’s First Mid-Infrared Solar Magnetic-Field Telescope
China has officially commissioned the world's first solar magnetic-field telescope operating in the mid-infrared wavelength, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced October 17, 2025.
The telescope fills the gap in the world in mid-infrared solar magnetic field observations, and is expected to provide important support for the monitoring and forecasting of disastrous space weather caused by solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
The telescope, known as the Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun or AIMS, is located in the Lenghu township in northwest China's Qinghai Province, at an average altitude of about 4,000 meters.
Since its development began in 2015, the project has made several key technological breakthroughs. The research team has achieved the direct measurement method of the solar magnetic field through observations in the 12.3-micron mid-infrared wavelength, improving the magnetic field measurement accuracy to exceed the 10 Gauss level, addressing a bottleneck issue in the century-long history of solar magnetic-field measurement.
The telescope adopts an off-axis optical system design, with its infrared spectroscopy and imaging terminals, including core components such as detector chips and vacuum cooling systems, all developed domestically, further enhancing China's independent innovation capability in astronomical instruments.
"The same magnetic field intensity has a stronger response in the mid-infrared waveband. Therefore, we can take advantage of this characteristic to enhance the precision of magnetic field measurements," said Deng Yuanyong, a researcher at the National Astronomical Observatories, in an interview with China Central Television.
During the debugging and trial period after the AIMS telescope was completed in 2023, researchers achieved routine observations of solar spectra and imaging in the mid-infrared wavelength, obtaining data on multiple solar flares in the wavelength. The results provide crucial data support for studying the mechanisms of material and energy transfer and investigating the accumulation and release of magnetic energy during intense solar eruptions.
"The magnetic field is extremely important for us to understand many key scientific issues in solar physics. Flares and coronal mass ejections are both disastrous space weather conditions dominated by magnetic field interactions, which have an impact on national economy and high-tech technologies on Earth. Therefore, this telescope can promote the monitoring and forecasting of disastrous space weather," said Deng.
Duration: 1 minute, 20 seconds
Release Date: Oct. 19, 2025
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