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“Solar Orbiter” is said to approach the sun up to 42 million kilometers
Photo: Cover-Images / imago images
During its mission, the space probe "Solar Orbiter" recorded the first films of particle eruptions from the solar atmosphere.
Some of these so-called solar winds have been detected by several instruments on board during a flyby of the sun, said the European space agency Esa.
A video published on YouTube shows the spectacle:
Solar storms are likely to increase
The sun goes through phases in which it is sometimes more and sometimes less active.
Most of the time, solar storms are noticeable as natural beauties.
At high latitudes they make the air shine with auroras, where the earth's low-lying magnetic field allows them to penetrate deep into the atmosphere.
Away from the poles, the magnetic field protects our planet from the solar particles - normally.
But strong solar storms squeeze the magnetic field so that electrically charged particles can reach the ground.
For the past year and a half the sun has been remarkably calm.
But according to satellite data, the sun has started a new cycle of activity - the peak is expected in 2025.
Such solar storms can lead to technical problems such as the failure of navigation systems or damage to satellites.
The probe, controlled by the control center in Darmstadt, recorded the film during a close flyby in February, but the data only reached Earth now.
The reason: Seen from the earth, the probe was behind the sun at the time of the recording.
That's why it took so long to transfer the data, according to Esa.
The mission of Esa and the US space agency NASA, which cost around 1.5 billion euros, was launched in February 2020 from Cape Canaveral in the US state of Florida.
There are ten scientific instruments on board the 1.8-ton orbiter.
Researchers hope to gain new knowledge about the sun and the magnetic field.
"Solar Orbiter" is said to fly up to 42 million kilometers from the sun.
The main scientific mission of "Solar Orbiter" is scheduled to start in November.
koe / dpa