Scientists at Aberystwyth University have welcomed the news that the European Solar Telescope (EST), a major international project to study the Sun, has been granted Landmark status by the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI).

The new designation recognises the scientific importance of the EST project, the progress made towards its construction, and the key role it is expected to play in Europe's research infrastructure landscape.

Featuring a 4.2-metre mirror and state-of-the-art instruments, the EST will be built at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on La Palma, Spain.

It will provide unprecedented observations of the Sun and its atmosphere, helping scientists better understand solar activity and the effects of space weather on satellites, communications systems and power infrastructure on Earth.

Aberystwyth University is a member of the EST UK Universities Consortium, a partnership of leading UK research institutions supporting the telescope's development and future scientific programme.

Professor Huw Morgan, Professor of Solar Physics at Aberystwyth University, said: “The EST will offer exceptionally detailed measurements of the Sun's hot atmosphere, allowing us to observe activity on scales that are beyond the reach of existing telescopes.

“The Space Physics group at Aberystwyth has a strong track record of advancing our understanding of the solar atmosphere, including the discovery several years ago of a magnetic field far stronger than had previously been expected.

“By revealing the Sun's atmosphere in greater detail than ever before, EST will help answer one of the biggest questions in space physics: how the solar atmosphere is energised.

“These observations will also strengthen our space weather research and our collaboration with the UK Met Office.

“A better understanding of the solar atmosphere will improve our ability to predict major solar eruptions and flares, helping us better understand events that can affect technology and infrastructure here on Earth.”