Solar orbiter speed8/14/2023 ![]() And not least, they are responsible for the approximately 11-year solar cycle.īut despite decades of observations from space, many fundamental questions remain unanswered: How does the Sun’s magnetic field originate deep in its interior? Through which magnetic processes does the Sun heat the corona to an unimaginable one million degrees Celsius? And how does it catapult the solar wind particles into space at speeds of sometimes more than 700 km/s? The researchers hope that the Solar Orbiter mission will provide answers to these questions. ![]() They are the cause of violent eruptions, spectacular arc-shaped plasma flows in the solar atmosphere, surprisingly high temperatures in the corona (the outer solar gas layers) as well as all visible structures and patterns on the surface (photosphere). The key to understanding the restless nature of the Sun lies in its magnetic fields. Why does this striking change take place on average every 11 years? And why are there always significant deviations from this otherwise quite reliable rule of thumb? Violent gas eruptions occur, the radiation level increases, and numerous (and sometimes gigantic) spots cover the surface. Between the minima, however, it turns into a witch’s cauldron. Every 11 years, on average, the Sun experiences such a minimum of activity. This solar monotony is a recurring state. Hardly a spot is visible on the surface of the Sun. The Sun is currently showing itself from its unspectacular side: Only a few eruptions eject charged particles and radiation into space. The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research is providing hardware for four instruments to this journey to the Sun. Through the combination of a novel trajectory and powerful instrumentation, the probe will provide the most comprehensive view of the Sun to date – from the origin of the magnetic fields deep in its interior to the solar wind, the steady solar particle flow from the Sun. Solar Orbiter will also leave the orbital plane of the Earth and investigate the poles of the Sun for the first time. ![]() This is only a little more than one quarter of the distance between the Sun and the Earth. Equipped with 10 scientific instruments, the probe of the European Space Agency (ESA) will in the coming years venture to a distance of only 42 million km from the Sun. On 10 February, the Solar Orbiter solar mission is scheduled to launch into space. ![]()
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