Our star's hottest material emits a variety of X-rays, which the American space agency was able to collect using the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR).
Low-energy X-rays and ultraviolet light were seen all over the face of the ball of gas, while high-energy X-rays were only seen in a few places.
The reason the sun's outer atmosphere can reach more than a million degrees and is at least 100 times hotter than its surface is one of science's greatest mysteries
The high-energy X-rays seen by NuSTAR are shown in blue, while green represents lower-energy X-rays from the X-ray Telescope instrument on the Hinode spacecraft
According to a statement from NASA, nanoflares may happen much more frequently, possibly frequently enough to collectively heat the corona,
whereas regular flares do not occur frequently enough to maintain the corona at the high temperatures scientists observe.
NuSTAR can detect light from the high-temperature material thought to be produced when a large number of nanoflares occur close to one another.
This capability enables physicists to study the energy release mechanism and frequency of nanoflares.
Another fascinating discovery was made by NASA this month when it noticed a fragment of the sun's northern pole breaking off.
Solar filaments, according to NASA, are magnetically bound clouds of charged particles that float above the sun.These appear as protruding, elongated strands from the sun's surface.