For the first time, the Solar Orbiter spacecraft has unveiled striking images of the sun's uncharted south pole, providing groundbreaking insights into its magnetic activity. These observations, part of a joint ESA and NASA mission, depict the chaotic patchwork of magnetic polarization that indicates the sun's periodic magnetic flips every 11 years. The discovery is essential for enhancing predictions about solar behavior, which significantly affects Earth's technology and environment. Lead scientists note that these findings represent the dawn of a new phase in solar research, highlighting the importance of understanding the sun's dynamics.
Today we reveal humankind's first-ever views of the sun's pole, said Prof Carole Mundell, the ESA's director of science.
These new unique views from our Solar Orbiter mission are the beginning of a new era of solar science.
Solar Orbiter's first magnetic field measurements reveal a fragmented mosaic of both north and south polarity at the base of the sun.
Scientists say that tracking the dramatic changes in the sun's polar magnetic fields will be crucial to improving forecasting of the solar cycle.
Collection
[
|
...
]