Credit: Image courtesy of Predictive Science Inc.
Visualization of the three-dimensional (3D) magnetic field of the sun’s corona for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. By tracing magnetic field lines at extremely high resolution, we can calculate a 3D map of the so-called magnetic squashing factor - a scientific measure designed to indicate the presence of complex structuring in the magnetic field. We then integrate the map along the line-of-sight, with special weightings to create a composite that resembles solar eclipse images. This is intended to highlight the inherent complexity of the Sun's magnetic field and its connection to visible emission from the solar corona.