All articles tagged with #suns poles
The Solar Orbiter spacecraft captured the first detailed images of the sun's south pole, revealing that its magnetic poles have flipped during solar maximum, a phenomenon that helps scientists understand solar activity and improve space weather predictions.
NASA/ESA's Solar Orbiter has captured the first images of the Sun's south pole, revealing that both magnetic poles are on the southern side, during a period of solar maximum when magnetic poles reverse. The spacecraft's high-latitude observations, made possible by gravitational assists from Earth and Venus, aim to improve understanding of solar magnetic activity and its impact on Earth, especially during solar storms. This marks a new era in solar science, providing insights into previously unobservable regions of the Sun.
The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter has achieved a historic milestone by capturing the first-ever images of the Sun's poles from outside the ecliptic plane, providing new insights into the Sun's magnetic field, solar cycle, and space weather phenomena. The spacecraft's tilted orbit allows it to observe the poles directly, revealing complex magnetic structures and material movements, which will enhance understanding of solar activity and its effects on Earth.
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has detected structures inside coronal holes that are responsible for "fast" solar winds. Researchers have identified streams of high-energy particles that match the supergranulation flows within the Sun's coronal holes. By identifying areas of supergranulation, the team believes they've determined how the fast solar winds are formed, through a concept called magnetic reconnection. The discovery of how fast solar winds form couldn't come at a better time because the Sun's 11-year activity cycle is approaching its most energetic period, meaning more solar storms that could be a major problem for our increasingly electrified society.