Historic! Take the closest photo of the sun ever; Solar Orbiter sees solar flares, ‘hedgehog’, more
ESA has shared a photo of the Sun taken from its closest point. Solar Orbiter also takes pictures of solar flares, a solar hedgehog and the solar mass launch!
The sun has always been a huge spherical light source for us. Now, the European Space Agency has shared a photo of the Sun taken from its closest point ever! The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter took a picture of the Sun on March 26, 2022, the closest it has ever been. This process is not easy! The Sun’s orbit lies within Mercury’s orbit, at about a third of the distance from the Sun to Earth. Temperatures of around 500°C shielded the spacecraft but advanced technology helped dissipate energy and keep the Orbiter safe and running. And the results paid off! The Solar Orbiter also takes pictures of the sun’s rays, solar poles, and solar mass ejections!
“Powerful rays, spectacular views across the Sun’s poles and a curious solar ‘hedgehog’ are among the breathtaking images, movies and data captured by Solar Orbiter from the next first close approach to the Sun,” ESA said in a report. During its close approach to the Sun, the Solar Probe witnessed solar flares and even a circular mass ejection in the direction of the Earth. It provides real-time spatial weather forecast feel.
Never seen details about the Sun
Not only the spectacular view of the Sun, but the orbiter also captured a mysterious phenomenon on the Sun’s pole. Scientists call it ‘the hedgehog’. At present, though, no one knows exactly what it is or how it was formed. Incredibly, the mysterious phenomenon is twice the diameter of the Earth. The study will also pave the way for the 11-year solar cycle and solar activities during the solar cycle. A rare opportunity, the spacecraft was impacted by a Mass Launch on March 10. This provided a unique opportunity to observe the conditions of the solar wind and solar flares.
Well, now, the Solar Orbiter is preparing and getting even closer than ever to its destination. “We are delighted with the quality of data from our first perihelion,” said Daniel Müller, ESA Project Scientist for the Solar Orbiter. “It is almost hard to believe that this is just the beginning of the quest. We will be really busy. “