 Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph

The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is a NASA astrophysics mission that was launched on June 27, 2013, with the purpose of studying the solar atmosphere, specifically the interface region between the solar photosphere and the corona. This region is particularly important because it is where much of the energy that heats the corona is believed to be transferred, and it plays a key role in solar phenomena such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections.