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Solar Orbiter Captures First-Ever Close-Up of Sun’s South Pole, Revealing Magnetic Field Chaos
In a historic first, ESA’s Solar Orbiter has imaged the Sun’s elusive south pole, exposing a tangle of magnetic fields and solar winds. The mission marks a major leap in understanding space weather and the 11-year solar cycle that influences Earth’s environment.
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Video: Solar Orbiter Spacecraft Reveals Sun's South Pole For The First Time
The robotic Solar Orbiter spacecraft has obtained the first images ever taken of our sun's two poles as scientists seek a deeper understanding of Earth's host star, including its magnetic field, its 11-year cycle of activity and the solar wind.
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Solar Storms Are Causing Elon Musk's Starlink Satellites To Fall From The Sky
The study revealed that geomagnetic storms caused by the Sun's eruptions increased atmospheric drag, causing satellites to re-enter faster than expected.
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Sun Unleash a 600,000-Mile Filament in Fiery Eruption
A spectacular 600,000-mile-long solar filament erupted off the sun’s surface in a fiery blast captured on video. While the resulting CME will miss Earth, experts are watching closely as solar activity ramps up toward Solar Cycle 25’s peak. The event underscores the sun’s ongoing volatility and potential for more powerful outbursts ahead.
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Hidden Solar Cycle Could Reshape Space Weather for the Next 50 Years, Finds Study
A hidden solar cycle is emerging, potentially intensifying space weather events over the next 50 years. While this cycle may raise concerns about geomagnetic storms and satellite disruptions, scientists believe it could also offer valuable opportunities to advance space weather forecasting, study Earth's magnetic field, and improve our resilience t...
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Record High Temperatures In 2024 Caused Ice Loss, Rise In Sea Levels: UN
The report said other factors could also have driven global temperature rises last year, including changes in the solar cycle, a massive volcanic eruption and a decrease in cooling aerosols.
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AMS Data Reveals Charged Particle Variations in Heliosphere Over Solar Cycle
Researchers analysing AMS data aboard the ISS have identified variations in charged particles within the heliosphere over an 11-year solar cycle. Shifts in the heliospheric magnetic field impact antiproton behaviour and cosmic nuclei fluxes, revealing correlations between solar modulation and cosmic ray movement. AMS measurements provide insights i...
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ESA Uses Solar Orbiter to Turn Solar Flares into Sound, Offering New Insights
The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with NASA, has used data from the Solar Orbiter mission to convert solar flares into audible sound. By mapping solar flare data into blue circles and pairing them with tones, a new way to experience solar activity has been created. This process is linked to the sun’s 11-year solar cycle, with curr...
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Solar Missions in 2025: Heliophysics Projects and Spacecrafts That Will Study the Sun
The study of the sun, its activity, and effects across the solar system will advance in 2025. With Solar Cycle 25 peaking, six NASA missions planned, and new research priorities outlined, scientists are poised to address long-standing questions about solar dynamics and their impacts. Missions such as IMAP, ESCAPADE, and PUNCH will investigate solar...
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Massive Solar Flare Closes 2024 With Radio Blackouts and Auroral Possibilities
An X1.1-class solar flare on December 29, 2024, caused strong radio blackouts on Earth, marking another significant event in the increasingly active Solar Cycle 25. Detected by NOAA's GOES-16 satellite, the eruption raises questions about a potential coronal mass ejection, which could amplify auroras during New Year celebrations. While impactful, t...
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Solar Cycle 25: How the Sun’s Peak Activity Will Impact Earth in 2025
Solar Cycle 25 continues with high activity levels in 2025. Increased solar flares and geomagnetic storms are anticipated, with risks to satellite systems and power grids. Widespread auroras could also light up low-latitude skies. Partial solar eclipses are scheduled for March and September in select regions. Observations indicate strong solar phen...
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Parker Solar Probe to Break Records with Historic Sun Flyby on December 24
NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set for a record-breaking approach to the sun on December 24, travelling at 430,000 mph and reaching within 3.8 million miles of the surface. The spacecraft, equipped with advanced heat shields, will navigate solar plasma plumes and potentially an active eruption during this phase of heightened solar activity. This flyb...
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Solar 'Battle Zone' Could be Even Worse Than Solar Maximum, Experts Warn
Experts warn that the sun's next phase, the "battle zone," could result in increased geomagnetic activity, lasting until 2028. This period could bring heightened solar flares and coronal holes, which may cause disruptions to satellites in low-Earth orbit. Space weather experts, including Scott McIntosh from Lynker Space, have noted that this phase ...
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Solar Surge Cuts Binar Satellites' Mission Short, Underscoring Space Weather Effects on Earth and Orbiting Satellites
Binar-2, 3, and 4, part of Curtin University's space program, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere unexpectedly due to an increase in solar activity. Low Earth orbit satellites are especially vulnerable to such conditions, with atmospheric drag accelerating their descent. While solar cycle 25 has proven stronger than anticipated, experts expect solar ac...
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Solar Maximum Explained: Current Status and Future Expectations in 2024
Solar maximum is the peak of solar activity in an approximately 11-year cycle. Currently, we are experiencing the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 25, which could last until 2026. This phase is characterized by an increase in sunspots and solar flares, impacting Earth through geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communicatio...
-
Solar Orbiter Captures First-Ever Close-Up of Sun’s South Pole, Revealing Magnetic Field Chaos
In a historic first, ESA’s Solar Orbiter has imaged the Sun’s elusive south pole, exposing a tangle of magnetic fields and solar winds. The mission marks a major leap in understanding space weather and the 11-year solar cycle that influences Earth’s environment.
-
Video: Solar Orbiter Spacecraft Reveals Sun's South Pole For The First Time
The robotic Solar Orbiter spacecraft has obtained the first images ever taken of our sun's two poles as scientists seek a deeper understanding of Earth's host star, including its magnetic field, its 11-year cycle of activity and the solar wind.
-
Solar Storms Are Causing Elon Musk's Starlink Satellites To Fall From The Sky
The study revealed that geomagnetic storms caused by the Sun's eruptions increased atmospheric drag, causing satellites to re-enter faster than expected.
-
Sun Unleash a 600,000-Mile Filament in Fiery Eruption
A spectacular 600,000-mile-long solar filament erupted off the sun’s surface in a fiery blast captured on video. While the resulting CME will miss Earth, experts are watching closely as solar activity ramps up toward Solar Cycle 25’s peak. The event underscores the sun’s ongoing volatility and potential for more powerful outbursts ahead.
-
Hidden Solar Cycle Could Reshape Space Weather for the Next 50 Years, Finds Study
A hidden solar cycle is emerging, potentially intensifying space weather events over the next 50 years. While this cycle may raise concerns about geomagnetic storms and satellite disruptions, scientists believe it could also offer valuable opportunities to advance space weather forecasting, study Earth's magnetic field, and improve our resilience t...
-
Record High Temperatures In 2024 Caused Ice Loss, Rise In Sea Levels: UN
The report said other factors could also have driven global temperature rises last year, including changes in the solar cycle, a massive volcanic eruption and a decrease in cooling aerosols.
-
AMS Data Reveals Charged Particle Variations in Heliosphere Over Solar Cycle
Researchers analysing AMS data aboard the ISS have identified variations in charged particles within the heliosphere over an 11-year solar cycle. Shifts in the heliospheric magnetic field impact antiproton behaviour and cosmic nuclei fluxes, revealing correlations between solar modulation and cosmic ray movement. AMS measurements provide insights i...
-
ESA Uses Solar Orbiter to Turn Solar Flares into Sound, Offering New Insights
The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with NASA, has used data from the Solar Orbiter mission to convert solar flares into audible sound. By mapping solar flare data into blue circles and pairing them with tones, a new way to experience solar activity has been created. This process is linked to the sun’s 11-year solar cycle, with curr...
-
Solar Missions in 2025: Heliophysics Projects and Spacecrafts That Will Study the Sun
The study of the sun, its activity, and effects across the solar system will advance in 2025. With Solar Cycle 25 peaking, six NASA missions planned, and new research priorities outlined, scientists are poised to address long-standing questions about solar dynamics and their impacts. Missions such as IMAP, ESCAPADE, and PUNCH will investigate solar...
-
Massive Solar Flare Closes 2024 With Radio Blackouts and Auroral Possibilities
An X1.1-class solar flare on December 29, 2024, caused strong radio blackouts on Earth, marking another significant event in the increasingly active Solar Cycle 25. Detected by NOAA's GOES-16 satellite, the eruption raises questions about a potential coronal mass ejection, which could amplify auroras during New Year celebrations. While impactful, t...
-
Solar Cycle 25: How the Sun’s Peak Activity Will Impact Earth in 2025
Solar Cycle 25 continues with high activity levels in 2025. Increased solar flares and geomagnetic storms are anticipated, with risks to satellite systems and power grids. Widespread auroras could also light up low-latitude skies. Partial solar eclipses are scheduled for March and September in select regions. Observations indicate strong solar phen...
-
Parker Solar Probe to Break Records with Historic Sun Flyby on December 24
NASA's Parker Solar Probe is set for a record-breaking approach to the sun on December 24, travelling at 430,000 mph and reaching within 3.8 million miles of the surface. The spacecraft, equipped with advanced heat shields, will navigate solar plasma plumes and potentially an active eruption during this phase of heightened solar activity. This flyb...
-
Solar 'Battle Zone' Could be Even Worse Than Solar Maximum, Experts Warn
Experts warn that the sun's next phase, the "battle zone," could result in increased geomagnetic activity, lasting until 2028. This period could bring heightened solar flares and coronal holes, which may cause disruptions to satellites in low-Earth orbit. Space weather experts, including Scott McIntosh from Lynker Space, have noted that this phase ...
-
Solar Surge Cuts Binar Satellites' Mission Short, Underscoring Space Weather Effects on Earth and Orbiting Satellites
Binar-2, 3, and 4, part of Curtin University's space program, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere unexpectedly due to an increase in solar activity. Low Earth orbit satellites are especially vulnerable to such conditions, with atmospheric drag accelerating their descent. While solar cycle 25 has proven stronger than anticipated, experts expect solar ac...
-
Solar Maximum Explained: Current Status and Future Expectations in 2024
Solar maximum is the peak of solar activity in an approximately 11-year cycle. Currently, we are experiencing the solar maximum of Solar Cycle 25, which could last until 2026. This phase is characterized by an increase in sunspots and solar flares, impacting Earth through geomagnetic storms that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communicatio...
