The Sun’s south pole has been a long-standing mystery for scientists, but a recent daredevil maneuver by Solar Orbiter has provided humanity with its first-ever glimpse of this region. The spacecraft plunged below the plane of the Solar System to capture an oblique view of the polar area, revealing new insights into the Sun’s behavior.
According to astrophysicist Carole Mundell, director of science at the European Space Agency (ESA), the discovery marks a significant milestone in solar physics research. “The Sun is our nearest star and plays a crucial role in life on Earth,” Mundell said. “Understanding its behavior and predicting its changes are essential for maintaining modern space and ground power systems.”
Solar Orbiter’s 17-degree tilt allowed it to see the pole, which was previously hidden from view due to most solar instruments’ alignment around the Sun’s equator. The spacecraft observed the magnetic fields, atmospheric structures, and temperature fluctuations of the solar corona during its visit.
The data collected by Solar Orbiter includes images of the polar region’s magnetic field, which showed a mixture of north and south polarities. The Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) and Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instruments captured detailed readings of the solar atmosphere, while the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument observed the temperature and composition of the solar corona.
The observations provided valuable insights into the Sun’s polar flip process, which occurs every 11 years. Scientists believe that a clear view of the poles will help them better understand this phenomenon, which is crucial for predicting solar activity.
Solar Orbiter will continue its mission to study the Sun’s polar regions, gradually increasing its tilt from 17 degrees to 33 degrees over the next few years. This data will transform our understanding of the Sun’s magnetic field, the solar wind, and solar activity, making it an essential step in advancing solar physics research.
As ESA astronomer Daniel Müller noted, “This is just the first step of Solar Orbiter’s ‘stairway to heaven.’ In the coming years, the spacecraft will provide even better views of the Sun’s polar regions, revealing new secrets about our star.”
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/humanity-has-just-glimpsed-part-of-the-sun-weve-never-seen-before