First Images of the Sun’s South Pole Revealed by Solar Orbiter

First-Ever Views of the Sun’s South Pole Captured by Solar Orbiter

In a groundbreaking achievement for solar science, images from the Solar Orbiter spacecraft have unveiled the sun’s uncharted south pole for the very first time. This landmark mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, marks a significant step in understanding the sun’s complex behavior and its impact on Earth.

Unveiling the Unknown

Launched in 2020, the Solar Orbiter recently captured stunning images of the sun’s south pole during its first high-angle observations in mid-March. The spacecraft descended to an angle of 15° below the solar equator, providing unprecedented views of a chaotic patchwork of magnetic activity. These observations are critical as they relate to the sun’s magnetic field, which undergoes a flip approximately every 11 years—an event that influences solar activity like sunspots and solar flares.

Significance of the Discoveries

• Understanding Solar Behavior: The sun, our nearest star, plays a vital role in life on Earth and has the potential to disrupt satellite communications and power systems. Gaining insights into its magnetic field is essential for predicting its behavior.
• New Era of Solar Science: Prof. Carole Mundell, ESA’s director of science, expressed that these unique views usher in a new era of understanding regarding our sun.
• Mapping Magnetic Activity: The Solar Orbiter’s initial measurements reveal a fragmented magnetic landscape, confirming predictions made by computer models for the first time. This new data will help scientists track changes in the sun’s polar magnetic fields, enhancing forecasts of solar cycles.

The Sun’s Dynamic Nature

The sun does not rotate uniformly; rather, its equator spins faster than its poles. The equator completes a rotation every 26 days, while the poles take about 33 days. This differential rotation twists and stretches the sun’s magnetic field lines until they become unstable, leading to a magnetic flip. As noted by Prof. Sami Solanki, director of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, the sun’s poles were previously a mystery, likened to “terra incognita.”

Current Solar Activity

At present, the sun is in a phase known as solar maximum, characterized by increased activity, including heightened occurrences of sunspots and solar flares as it gears up for its next magnetic flip. Prof. Lucie Green of UCL’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory emphasizes that the sun’s character and behavior are largely dictated by its ever-changing magnetic field, which influences everything from solar explosions to the overall dynamics of the sun’s atmosphere.

The Future of Solar Observations

With the sun expected to reach its next solar minimum in five to six years, scientists aim to enhance their predictions regarding the sun’s activity during this period. Current models are limited in their capabilities, making it crucial to gather more data from missions like Solar Orbiter. Unlike NASA’s Ulysses probe, which was launched in 1990 and lacked imaging capabilities, Solar Orbiter will continue to gather detailed observations until its next trajectory change in December 2026, and a further ascent in 2029.