Spacecraft photographed giant eruption on the Sun

NASA and ESA's Solar Orbiter tracks eruptions on the surface of the Sun from a close distance.

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft made a key observation in space while recording the Sun's massive eruption. This is the largest eruption ever observed in an image along the Sun's disk, contributing to a collaborative mission between NASA and the European Space Agency, to better understand the activity of the star.

The February 15 eruption of the Sun.

"Solar eruptions are large structures of disordered magnetic field lines that maintain a dense density of plasma suspended above the star's surface, sometimes in a dome-shaped form," ESA explained on February 18, accompanied by a photo. Photo taken 3 days ago.

According to the ESA, solar eruptions are often accompanied by coronal eruptions (eruptions of charged particles that the Sun occasionally emits). If eruptions are headed straight for the Earth, they can sometimes disrupt satellites, power lines, and other critical infrastructure. Observation results on February 15 recorded the eruption reaching millions of kilometers into space, but the coronal eruption was not directed towards the Earth. The event was recorded using the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager on board the Solar Orbiter.

"Other space telescopes such as the (Solar and Heliosphere Observatory) regularly monitor this type of activity, but closer or further away, blocking out the halo of the Sun's disk helps to capture detailed images of the corona. . Therefore, the observed Solar Orbiter eruption is the largest eruption recorded in a frame with the Sun's disk. At the same time, SOHO can provide complementary images at greater distances," ESA said. said.

The Solar Orbiter's next near-Sun flyby will take place on March 26, 0.3 times closer to the distance between the Sun and Earth (150 million km). So the Sun will appear larger in the image in a few weeks.