Solar Observatory from ESA unveils the Sun's magnetic poles in a groundbreaking observation.
Solar Orbiter Probe Unveils Epic New Vision of the Sun's Poles
Let's kick things off with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Solar Orbiter spacecraft, having been in the game since February 2020. This bad boy's on a mission - literally. Its purpose? To scrutinize the poles of our blazing ball of plasma, the Sun.
Why's that, you ask? Well, Earth orbits the Sun in a single plane, called the ecliptic. That means we're neck and neck with the Sun's equator, leaving its poles out of our line of sight. But Solar Orbiter? It ain't like the rest of us.
This spacecraft's orbit was specially designed with a tilt, enabling it to lay eyes on what we Earthlings can't. And for the first time ever, ESA has shared those views with us mere mortals.
The Corona
First up, we've got snaps from the mission's Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI). These babies reveal the superheated gases of the Sun's corona, reaching temperatures of millions of degrees. Researchers want to crack the code on how this corona gets so toasty, and Solar Orbiter might just be the key.
EUI does its thing by peering at the Sun in ultraviolet light, which is more energetic than the eye-visible light we're accustomed to. In these images, we can see plumes and arches of hot plasma within the corona, whose shape and behavior are dictated by the solar magnetic field.
Flowing Material
Next, a velocity map courtesy of the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) imaging spectrograph. Here, we're treated to a peek at super-hot carbon atoms moving at the Sun's south pole. Blues represent material scattering away from the Sun, while red indicates material heading back towards it. Darker shades denote faster speeds, associated with plumes or jets of material.
This map focuses on the transition region of the Sun's atmosphere, where temperatures zoom from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of degrees. Spot witness to the start of the corona, this region's a hotbed of solar action.
A Magnetic Mess
Now, think the pole of the Sun looks pretty routine so far? Time to change your mind. Our Sun's a magnetic machine, with its powerful magnetic field shaping the Sun's behavior. This magnetic field powers the solar wind, those ever-flowing streams of charged particles that sweep across the solar system. The magnetic field also plays a key role in triggering sunspots, prominences, and massive space weather events.
And Solar Orbiter, with its highly tilted orbit, is getting a closer look at the Sun's magnetic field like never before.
Right now, the Sun's deep in its 11-year cycle, hitting solar maximum towards the end of 2021. This is a period of increased activity (exhibited by some spectacular aurorae) as the Sun's poles prep for a magnetic identity crisis, where the north and south poles swap places.
Peeping at the poles during this turbulent time will give researchers a better understanding of what's going on at the epicenter of the action, while viewing more of the Sun overall will help us trace the boundary between its northern and southern magnetic realms.
According to ESA, Solar Orbiter's first peek at the Sun's south pole showed a disarray of magnetic fields - a temporary twist that only happens around solar maximum. Over the next few years, once the poles flop their polarity, both poles should settle back into a single magnetic polarity.
Uncharted Territory No More
"When we began this mission, we were essentially venturing into the unknown. The Sun's poles - literal terra incognita," said PHI team lead Sami Solanki of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany, in the press release.
These initial images are just the start. The full dataset containing our first views of both solar poles won't reach scientists' hands until October, featuring observations from all ten of the spacecraft's instruments.
Even that's just the beginning. Over the next few years, Solar Orbiter will continue to raise the tilt on its orbit by utilizing Venus as a gravity-boosting co-pilot, ultimately imaging the Sun from a latitude of 33° by the end of the decade. Its next Venus flyby is scheduled for Christmas Eve next year, which will help adjust its orbit and lift its tilt to 24°.
"The Sun's a force to reckon with - both as a life-giver and a potential disruptor of our modern technological systems. It's of critical importance that we comprehend its workings and learn to foresee its behavior," said Carole Mundell, Director of Science at ESA. The new views from our Solar Orbiter mission mark the dawn of a new era in solar science.
Related: ➡️ What will Solar Orbiter's mission accomplish?
Fun Fact: Solar Orbiter will encounter Venus seven times during its mission, using the planet's gravity to tilt its orbit even further, snagging unique perspectives on the Sun as it does.
- The Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) onboard the Solar Orbiter spacecraft has captured images of Venus, providing an opportunity to study the planet's atmosphere and its interaction with the solar wind.
- The science team behind the Solar Orbiter mission is particularly interested in understanding the role of Venus in shaping the space environment around our solar system, as Venus' gravity helps tilt the spacecraft's orbit.
- As Solar Orbiter continues to explore the Sun, it will gather valuable data not only about the Sun's poles but also about the other planets in the solar system, including Venus, contributing to the broader field of astrophysics and space-and-astronomy technology.
- The unique insights gained from Solar Orbiter's mission could pave the way for future advanced technologies, as scientists incorporate learnings from the Sun's polar regions to design more capable spacecraft that can withstand extreme temperature and radiation conditions, thus expanding our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
