NASA, ESA release ‘unprecedented’ pictures of Sun captured from Solar Orbiter

Scientists from National Aeronautics and ministration (NASA) and European ncy (ESA) presented first ims captured by Solar Orbiter, a joint ESA/NASA mission to study Sun. Solar Orbiter, which was launched on February 9, turned on all of its 10 instruments toger for first time in mid-June as it me its first close pass of Sun.

During an online news briefing on July 16, mission experts released closeup ims and discussed what se ims reveal about Sun. Holly Gilbert, a NASA project scientist for mission at NASA's Goddard Flight Center in Greenbelt, said that se “unprecedented pictures” of Sun are closest y have ever obtained.

“se amazing ims will help scientists piece toger Sun’s atmospheric layers, which is important for understanding how it drives wear near Earth and throughout solar system,” said Gilbert.

Re: NASA Teams Up With JAXA To Design Recreational Vehicle For Moon

Tiny 'campfires' on Sun's surface

craft carries six imaging instruments and, rmally, scientists don’t expect new discoveries from first ims and only uses it to confirm instruments are working. However, Extreme Ultraviolet Imr, or EUI, on Solar Orbiter returned data hinting at solar features never observed in such detail. 

EUI revealed tiny “campfires” dotting Sun’s surface - bright spots that may be related to naflares, a possible explanation for incredible heating of Sun’s outer atmosphere, corona. Scientists need a more precise measurement of campfires' temperature to verify possibility using Spectral Imaging of Coronal Environment, also present on Solar Orbiter.

“We didn’t expect such great results so early. se ims show that Solar Orbiter is off to an excellent start,” said Daniel Müller, ESA’s Solar Orbiter project scientist.

According to NASA, all 10 instruments flicked on when Solar Orbiter flew within 48 million miles of Sun and captured closest pictures of star till date. While or craft have been closer to Sun, ne of m carried Sun-facing imrs.

Re: NASA's Psyche Satellite Design Done, Hardware Manufacturing In Full-swing

(Im Credit: NASA)