Astronauts
Astronomy
Constellation
Deep Sky Objects
Moon
Stargazing
Telescope
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Accuracy & Corrections Terms & Condition
COPYRIGHT. All contents of on the site comporting the Starlust branding are Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.
STARLUST.ORG / DEEP SKY OBJECTS

First-ever images of the Sun’s south pole captured by Solar Orbiter spacecraft

These data are crucial for scientists to understand the Sun's cyclical activity, specifically how it shifts between intense and quieter phases.
PUBLISHED JUN 14, 2025
NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory satellites have provided the first 3-dimensional images of the Sun. (Cover Image Source: NASA Image and Video Library | NASA)
NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory satellites have provided the first 3-dimensional images of the Sun. (Cover Image Source: NASA Image and Video Library | NASA)

The European Space Agency's (ESA) Solar Orbiter spacecraft has achieved a remarkable feat by transmitting the first-ever views of the Sun's south pole back to Earth. These unprecedented video and image data are crucial for scientists to unravel the mysteries behind the Sun's cyclical behavior, specifically how it transitions between periods of intense solar activity and quieter phases. Understanding these cycles is vital because powerful solar activity has the potential to disrupt satellite communications and cause widespread power outages on Earth, as reported by the BBC.

NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory STEREO satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun (Image Source: NASA Image and Video Library | NASA)
NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory STEREO satellites have provided the first three-dimensional images of the Sun (Image Source: NASA Image and Video Library | NASA)

The newly acquired images offer a detailed glimpse of the Sun's atmosphere, revealing a luminous, shimmering expanse where temperatures can soar to a staggering million degrees Celsius. Amidst this brightness, darker clouds of gas are visible, although significantly cooler at a searing one hundred thousand degrees, they still represent extreme heat. According to Professor Carole Mundell, ESA's Director of Science, these closest and most detailed pictures ever taken of the Sun will be instrumental in comprehending the fundamental workings of the star that sustains life on Earth. She emphasizes the importance of this achievement, stating, "The Sun is our nearest star, giver of life and potential disruptor of modern space and ground power systems, so it is imperative that we understand how it works and learn to predict its behavior."



 

While the Sun appears as a featureless disc from Earth, special filters and different frequencies reveal its true nature: a dynamic fluid ball with twisting and turning magnetic fields on its surface. These magnetic fields are responsible for generating flares and loops of gas that extend into the Sun's atmosphere, ultimately dictating periods of calm and intense solar activity. Scientists understand that the Sun undergoes a cyclical process. During its quiet phase, the magnetic fields are ordered, and the Sun maintains a stable magnetic north and south pole, preventing violent explosions. However, these fields become increasingly complex and chaotic as they reorient, with the north and south poles flipping approximately every 11 years.

X-rays stream off the sun in this first picture of the sun (Image Source: NASA Image and Video Library | NASA)
X-rays stream off the sun in this first picture of the sun (Image Source: NASA Image and Video Library | NASA)

This chaotic period is when the Sun attempts to reduce its complexity, leading to violent outbursts, where solar particles are ejected towards Earth. These solar storms can disrupt communication satellites and power grids, although they also create stunning auroras. According to Professor Lucie Green of University College London (UCL), accurately predicting this activity with computer models has been challenging due to a lack of data on the migration of magnetic fields toward the poles. However, this has now changed with the Solar Orbiter. Green enthusiastically stated, "We now have the missing piece of the puzzle."  

She further added, "The reversal of the polar magnetic fields on the Sun has been one of the big open questions in science and what we will be able to do with Solar Orbiter is measure for the first time the really important fluid flows that grab pieces of the magnetic field across the Sun and transport them to the polar regions." The Solar Orbiter has also taken groundbreaking images, revealing the motion of chemical elements within various solar systems. This feat was accomplished with the SPICE (Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment) instrument, which identifies specific light frequencies (spectral lines) emitted by elements such as hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, neon, and magnesium at their characteristic temperatures. Crucially, the SPICE team has now, for the first time, used these spectral lines to measure the velocity of solar material clumps precisely. These measurements are vital for understanding the mechanisms by which particles are propelled from the Sun, forming the solar wind. 

MORE ON Starlust
Some theories suggest that our sun was in a similar state before the planets were all formed.
3 days ago
Discovered on July 1, the celestial body 3I/ATLAS is currently approaching Earth from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
3 days ago
Historically revered as Zeus's powerful eagle, bearing lightning and messages, this celestial constellation reaches its highest point in the sky during July and August.
3 days ago
With its unparalleled infrared capabilities, Webb now accomplishes what was once impossible, transforming our view of the cosmos from distant galaxies to our solar system.
4 days ago
An autonomous docking for the Progress 92 is anticipated around 5:27 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 5.
5 days ago
This lift-off, from Kennedy Space Center's historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), marked yet another crucial orbital mission for SpaceX.
7 days ago
The advanced LOFAR radio telescope enabled scientists to detect a massive cloud of high-energy particles around a galaxy cluster whose light traveled 10 billion years to Earth.
Jul 1, 2025
The new image specifically highlights the eastern reaches of Arcadia Planitia, a crucial area northwest of the massive Tharsis volcanic province.
Jun 30, 2025
The spiral galaxy UGC 11397, in the constellation Lyra, is home to a supermassive black hole aggressively consuming material at its core.
Jun 30, 2025
The New Shepard program's 33rd overall flight, a suborbital journey lasting approximately 10 minutes, lifted off from Launch Site One in West Texas at 9:39 a.m. CDT.
Jun 30, 2025
The dwarf galaxy NGC 4449, just 12.5 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici, is a standout 'starburst galaxy.'
Jun 29, 2025
The new image combines data from across the electromagnetic spectrum, giving astronomers a complete picture of Andromeda's complex structure.
Jun 27, 2025
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope recently captured an image of the spiral galaxy IC 758, located 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.
Jun 22, 2025
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching in 2027, will use gravitational lensing, a phenomenon Einstein predicted over a century ago, to study the mystery of dark matter.
Jun 22, 2025
Essential for galactic evolution, mergers impact the layout of gas, the motion of stars, and a galaxy's overall structure, ultimately leading to greater stellar mass.
Jun 21, 2025
Scientists are shedding new light on Cosmic Noon, a crucial era 10 to 12 billion years in the past when stars formed at rates 10 to 100 times greater than what we see now.
Jun 21, 2025
Climate change has amplified wildfires across Canada and the western US.
Jun 21, 2025
By the night of June 19, Mars officially entered the Spring Triangle, and it'll continue to skim its lower edge until mid-September.
Jun 19, 2025
Looking ahead, this costly dilemma is expected to intensify dramatically, with the number of satellites in orbit predicted to surge to tens of thousands in just a few years.
Jun 15, 2025
This ambitious project, spearheaded by ADA Space and Zhejiang Lab, plans to deploy a vast network of 2,800 satellites.
Jun 15, 2025