NASA’s PUNCH mission has released its first images of colossal solar storms, providing an unprecedented view of how these powerful eruptions travel through the inner solar system. The spacecraft, launched in March 2025, is capturing stunning footage of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), vast plumes of plasma and magnetic field ejected from the sun.
The CMEs can trigger geomagnetic storms that disrupt satellites, GPS, and pose risks to astronauts. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for protecting satellites, astronauts, and infrastructure, as well as predicting dramatic aurora displays.
The PUNCH spacecraft features four cameras that form a “virtual instrument” allowing scientists to track CMEs across the inner solar system in greater detail than ever before. The latest images show massive CMEs billowing outward in all directions, some heading directly toward the camera.
These stunning views are giving scientists new insights into space weather and its impact on our planet. With its planned two-year mission, PUNCH will deliver continuous global 3D observations of the sun’s outer atmosphere and the inner solar system, helping to improve forecasts of space weather impacts.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/sun/nasas-punch-delivers-knockout-views-of-colossal-solar-storms-erupting-from-sun-video