The first science flight of Sunrise yielded high-quality data that reveal the structure, dynamics and evolution of solar convection, oscillations and magnetic fields at a resolution of around 100 km in the quiet Sun.
[3] The strong absorption of UV radiation by the Earth's atmosphere makes it challenging to carry out ground-based observations at these wavelengths.
A balloon mission reaching altitudes of above 30 km benefits from a reduction of UV absorption by 99%, making engineering solutions for the telescope easier.
The launch site was in the arctic region to make uninterrupted observation of the Sun over several days possible.
[4] The one metre diameter primary mirror is made from a glass ceramic zerodur,[5] it is the central part of the gondola of nearly 2 tons.