Probe Solar Orbiter will make the most detailed photos of the Sun over the entire history of observations

Solar Orbiter in the representation of the artist

Unmanned NASA and ESA Solar Orbiter June 15, completed the first closer to the Sun, approaching him at a distance of 77 million kilometers, which is approximately equal to half the distance between the Sun and Earth. This is an important milestone for the mission, as the probe, launched in February, went on to the next after the launch phase of their research expedition. Over the next five months, scientists will monitor its on-Board devices, after which the science mission officially starts, and will take snapshots of the native star from the point of perihelion, nearest to the Sun point of the orbit of a planet or other celestial body in the Solar system. Before astronomers never took pictures of the Sun with such a close range.

How to study the Sun?

is the active star's magnetic field which carried a constant flow of matter (the solar wind) – is distributed throughout the Solar system. The solar wind has influence on the spacecraft and generates the environment of worlds throughout the system. Scientists observe the Sun nearest to the Earth planets and even the distant edges of the sphere of influence of the native star for decades. So, in 2018, the launch of NASA's Parker Solar Probe (Parker), who, ultimately, will fly at a distance of approximately 6.16 million kilometers from the Sun's visible surface. Read more about this amazing mission.

As the official website of NASA, during the last (fourth) collision with the Sun that occurred during the second half of January and February 2020, the spacecraft passed directly between the Sun and Earth. This gave scientists a unique opportunity: solar wind, which measured Parker being closest to the Sun in a few days will come to Earth, where the wind and its effects will be possible to measure both spacecraft and ground-based observatories. Moreover, ground-based Observatory will get a clear idea about the location of objects that produce the solar wind.

According to the earlier obtained data on the Sun's surface or near it has a certain structure. To understand how they form, evolve and what have been the contributions to the dynamics of the plasma in the solar wind, it is necessary to look at the source region of these structures. All space missions, including Solar Orbiter, help scientists to compile a complete picture of what is happening on the surface home star.

Probe Parker is rapidly approaching the surface of our home star.

What is known about Solar Orbiter?

Developed by engineers from the European space Agency (ESA) with NASA, the Solar Orbiter is equipped with 10 different on-Board devices, many of which complement each other. So, six different cameras provide unprecedented views of the Sun close up, and its main goal is to better understand the Sun and how the star creates and controls a dynamic environment within the Solar system. According to the authors of scientific work in the official press release of the study, the photographs of the Sun taken from the surface of the Earth can see only a small part of the solar spectrum.

In turn, from space you can see a much more detailed picture. Current status Solar Orbiter is the first case in the entire history of observations, when all on-Board devices of the device are working at such a close distance from the Sun. This gives researchers a unique insight into the structure and composition of the solar wind.

Recall that solar wind is a stream of ionized particles helium-hydrogen plasma, which is formed by thermonuclear reactions in the Sun. The star ejects these particles and they are distributed throughout the Solar system. It calls solar wind phenomena such as magnetic storms and aurorae. More interesting articles on recent scientific discoveries in astronomy and astrophysics, read on .

No, you're not a red-hot pop-corn or buckwheat. It looks like the surface of the Sun

In the coming months onboard instruments of the apparatus will collect preliminary data on the solar corona, the surface of the star, the heliosphere, the magnetic field and the particles inside the solar wind. the First images taken by the Orbiter will be released until July.

As a New Atlas, the trajectory of Solar Orbiter will allow him to study the solar poles, which are not aimed at the Ground. This phase of the mission will last until November 2021. The next step, as mentioned above, will be approaching the star at a distance of 42 million kilometers.

But despite the fact that detailed results will be known only after some time, both devices should significantly improve our understanding of space weather and may improve our ability to predict potentially dangerous solar flares. What do you think, will you break our starall life on Earth? Response it is possible to share