It is not so easy to obtain specific details of our star in still images. The difficulties posed by its temperatures mean that we depend on images from great distances. But that’s what the Orbiter probe was designed for. And it has obtained the most detailed images of the Sun to date.
The European Space Agency (ESA) published new images of the Sun, obtained with the help of the Solar Orbiter device. This was developed in conjunction with NASA. They point out that the new photos could be key to understanding the nature of the star.
Distances
The images were taken on March 22, 2023, at a distance of 74 million kilometers from the Sun. Each frame covered a small part of the star. Therefore, the entire image was collected as a mosaic of 25 images. The organization stressed that it is “the most complete high-resolution image of the star’s visible surface to date.”
To take the photographs, the Solar Orbiter used two tools. First, the extreme ultraviolet imager (EUI). And it complements the polarimetric and helioseismic imager (PHI).
The most striking thing about the images are the sunspots. They are dark areas, colder and less luminous than the rest of the surface. In the second image, the PHI shows that the magnetic field is concentrated in the sunspots. Here it points outwards (red) or inwards (blue).
Sun spots
Additionally, the PHI velocity map, or shorthand, shows the velocity of the solar plasma. Blue indicates movement towards the ship and red, outwards. The plasma rotates with the Sun, but is ejected near sunspots.
The most detailed images of the Sun to date bring us a little closer to its mysterious nature. «The Sun’s magnetic field is key to understanding the dynamic nature of our star from the smallest to the largest scales. (…) At the same time, they are crucial for inferring the magnetic field in the hot corona of the Sun. This was pointed out by Daniel Müller, author of the project team.
