The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft has captured stunning footage of exotic solar phenomena in the transition zone between the sun’s lower atmosphere and the corona. This unprecedented video was recorded from a distance of over 43 million kilometers from the sun, revealing intricate details of the solar surface that have never been seen before.
The Solar Orbiter, along with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, is revolutionizing our understanding of the sun by observing it from closer distances than any previous mission. Solar Orbiter recently reached its closest point to the sun just 10 days after capturing the mesmerizing video, while Parker Solar Probe is set to reach its closest point on Christmas Eve.
The footage captured by Solar Orbiter’s Extreme Ultraviolet Imager showcases distinct features such as coronal moss, spicules, and coronal rain. The coronal moss consists of delicate filaments of plasma following magnetic field lines, while spicules are hair-like structures made of plasma rising above the photosphere.
One of the most striking moments in the video is an eruption of cooler material rising as a plume into the chromosphere, dwarfing the size of Earth itself. Additionally, the video captures coronal rain made of plasma droplets falling back onto the photosphere, providing a rare glimpse into this phenomenon.
These observations offer valuable insights into the sun’s activity and help scientists better understand the complex processes taking place within its atmosphere. By studying these exotic solar phenomena, researchers are gaining a deeper understanding of the sun’s behavior and its impact on space weather, ultimately contributing to advancements in our knowledge of the larger solar system.
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