What do the poles of the Sun really look like?
Until now, no spacecraft had ever seen them. But for the first time in history, ESA’s Solar Orbiter, developed in collaboration with NASA, has captured images of the Sun’s south pole from a unique, tilted orbit, breaking free from the flat view we’ve always had from Earth and other missions.
Why is this important?
Because it opens a new chapter in #solarscience. Solar Orbiter is revealing how the Sun’s magnetic field behaves at high latitudes, key point to understand the 11-year solar cycle and the origins of solar storms that can affect satellites, astronauts and power grids on Earth.
What have we discovered so far?
The Sun’s south pole is a #magneticmess: a mix of north and south polarities in the same region, a signature of the ongoing solar maximum.
We now have Doppler maps of the Sun’s transition region, showing how fast solar material moves, thanks to SPICE, an instrument measuring the speed of charged particles with stunning precision.
Scientists can finally study how the magnetic field reorganises itself after it flips, a process still shrouded in mystery.
OHB Italia S.p.A. took part to the mission with #Metis coronagraph, a key instrument aboard Solar Orbiter. Metis allows scientists to observe the outer atmosphere of the Sun (the corona) in both visible and ultraviolet light, helping to study the solar wind and the Sun’s dynamic activity with unprecedented detail.
These new image isn’t just beautiful: they’re transformative. They bring us one step closer to forecasting solar activity and protecting Earth’s technological infrastructure.
And the journey has just begun. Solar Orbiter will continue to increase its orbital tilt, reaching 24° in 2026 and 33° in 2029, offering even more comprehensive views of the Sun’s polar dynamics.
Let’s keep watching the #Sun, from new angles, with new eyes.
Picture’s Credits: ESA – European Space Agency
#SolarOrbiter #SpaceScience #ESA #NASA #OHBItalia #Metis #Sun #SolarPhysics #Heliophysics #SpaceWeather #SpaceExploration #MagneticField #Innovation #ScienceCommunication #SolarMission
