NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has captured the closest-ever photos of the sun during its record-breaking flight in December 2024. The probe revealed important features in the solar wind, which helps scientists understand its origins and effects on life on Earth.
The solar wind is a stream of charged particles released by the sun’s corona, speeding through the solar system at over a million miles an hour. Understanding this space weather phenomenon is crucial for protecting astronauts and spacecraft, as well as minimizing disruptions to infrastructure caused by strong solar activity.
For the first time, the Parker Solar Probe captured images showing how the solar wind behaves shortly after leaving the corona and recorded collisions between plasma bubbles and magnetic fields called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These observations will help scientists determine how CMEs merge together, which can impact space weather.
There are two types of solar wind: fast and slow. The fast solar wind travels at up to 800 kilometers per second, while the slow solar wind is denser and more unpredictable, blowing in gusts rather than a constant stream. Scientists have long been puzzled by the origin and generation of the slow solar wind, which makes it challenging to understand its properties.
However, the Parker Solar Probe’s latest images have confirmed the existence of two distinct types of slow solar wind: Alfvénic and non-Alfvénic. The new data suggests that Alfvénic winds may originate from coronal holes on cooler regions of the corona, while non-Alfvénic winds could be released from hot magnetic loops called helmet streamers.
The probe will continue to collect data as it orbits the sun, with its next perihelion pass scheduled for September 15th.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/parker-solar-probe-captures-closest-ever-photos-of-the-sun-during-record-breaking-flight