Solar Orbiter captures highest-resolution views of Sun's surface
Solar Orbiter captures the Sun's surface in high resolution, revealing magnetic and plasma activities.

The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter mission has provided scientists with the highest-resolution images of the Sun's surface captured to date, taken in March 2023. Utilizing the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) and the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI), these images reveal the intricate details of the Sun's magnetic fields and plasma flows from 74 million kilometers away.
The composite images consist of 25 individual captures, including detailed views of the Sun's photosphere, a magnetic field map, a plasma flow map, and an ultraviolet image of the corona. Scientists can now better study the Sun's magnetic field and its dynamic nature, critical for understanding various solar phenomena like flares and coronal mass ejections.
This mission seeks to uncover mechanisms behind the solar wind, magnetic field dynamics, and solar events. Through these high-resolution images, researchers can analyze small-scale magnetic structures, their evolution, and the relationship between solar surface activities and coronal processes. The insights from this mission promise to enhance solar dynamic models and improve space weather predictions.