Strange gamma rays from the sun may help decipher its magnetic fields

The high-energy light is more plentiful and weirder than anyone expected

photo illustration of sun's magnetic fields

A TANGLED SKEIN  The sun’s knotted magnetic fields, visualized here as white lines, scramble cosmic rays and may cause them to shoot energetic light called high-energy gamma rays toward Earth.

Solar Dynamics Observatory/GSFC/NASA

The sleepy sun turns out to be a factory of extremely energetic light.