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Editorial

In September 2006 the solar space observatory Hinode (Japanese for sunrise) was launched. The project is led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) together with the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and contributions from the United States and the United Kingdom. The European Space Agency (ESA) is providing ground station coverage through the Svalbard Satellite Station in Norway. The Hinode satellite carries a solar optical telescope (SOT), a X-ray telescope (XRT), and an EUV imaging spectrometer (EIS). Together, these permit an investigation of the interior of the Sun, and all atmospheric regions, from the photosphere and chromosphere to the corona, addressing the origin of the Sun's magnetic field, the driving force behind solar eruptive events, and the nature of the hot corona.

As a recognition of the impact provided by the new solar observations using HINODE, we publish a "special feature" in this issue. It consists of 18 letters which document these new results.