Solar Orbiter Captures Clearest Images of Sun

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft, a joint mission between ESA and NASA, has captured the clearest images of the Sun to date, revealing stunning details of its corona and surface. Taken in March 2023, the images were produced when the spacecraft was less than 74 million kilometers from the Sun, utilizing both ultraviolet and visible light to showcase the solar atmosphere and surface features such as sunspots. The full view of the Sun’s corona, made from 25 stitched images, showcases billowing plasma streams along magnetic field lines, while the sunspots display cooler areas on the Sun’s surface. In the future, Solar Orbiter is expected to provide two high-resolution images of the Sun annually, significantly advancing our understanding of solar dynamics. The spacecraft's imaging and magnetic instruments are also revealing the movement of scorching hot plasma across the Sun's surface, furthering our knowledge of solar activity. These advancements mark a significant milestone for solar observation and research.