China commissions world's first mid-infrared solar magnetic-field telescope

China commissions world's first mid-infrared solar magnetic-field telescope
by Riko Seibo
Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Oct 21, 2025

The National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC) has announced that the world's first telescope dedicated to measuring solar magnetic fields in the mid-infrared band has passed its final acceptance review and is now fully operational.

Known as the Accurate Infrared Magnetic Field Measurements of the Sun (AIMS), the telescope marks a breakthrough in global solar observation by closing the long-standing gap in mid-infrared magnetic-field measurements. It also provides a new benchmark for future large-scale astronomical facilities at high-altitude observatories, said NAOC researcher Deng Yuanyong.

The solar magnetic field serves as the master control for powerful solar phenomena such as flares and coronal mass ejections. Understanding and predicting this activity is vital to safeguarding Earth's communications, navigation and power infrastructure.

"Intense solar magnetic activity can directly impair communications, navigation and power grids on Earth, while current measurements, which are carried out almost exclusively in the visible wavelengths, remain limited in precision," Deng explained. "This has become a major bottleneck in improving the understanding and forecasting of solar activity."

Development of the AIMS project began in 2015. The telescope is located in Lenghu township, Qinghai province, at an altitude of about 4,000 meters. The remote, arid environment provides near-ideal conditions for observing the Sun in the mid-infrared range.

AIMS converts solar magnetic-field measurement from indirect inference to direct detection, significantly enhancing precision. The system can directly measure magnetic fields with an accuracy exceeding 10 gauss. It is also fully domestically developed, featuring a homegrown infrared spectrograph, imaging camera, and vacuum cryogenic system.

During trial operations, AIMS captured mid-infrared data from solar flares across several wavelength bands, offering new insights into the transport of matter and energy in solar eruptions and the dynamics of magnetic energy buildup and release.

Now officially entering its scientific phase, AIMS is expected to deliver data that will strengthen China's capabilities in solar-physics research, space-weather monitoring, and forecasting.