Hinode is a Japanese solar satellite launched on September 23, 2006. The name “Hinode” means “sunrise” in Japanese. It was formerly known as Solar-B before being renamed in October 2018. Hinode consists of three telescopes that observe the Sun in different wavelength ranges: the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), the X-Ray Telescope (XRT), and the Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA).
The EIS observes the Sun in extreme ultraviolet light, which is emitted by hot plasma at temperatures of around 1 million Kelvin. The XRT observes the Sun in X-rays, which are emitted by plasma at even higher temperatures of around 10 million Kelvin. The OTA observes the Sun in visible light, which is emitted by cooler plasma at temperatures of around 6000 Kelvin.
Hinode’s instruments have made many important discoveries about the Sun, including insights into its magnetic field, its structure and composition, and its dynamic behavior. Hinode has also been instrumental in advancing our understanding of how stars like our Sun work.