The probe Solar orbiter of the European Space Agency (ESA) issued the First images in the history of the South Pole of the sun, observed between 16 and 17 March 2025 to one inclination of about 17 ° compared to the solar equatorial plane. In fact, the sun has always been observed by positions around the solar equator. This is because the earth, the other planets and all other operational space vehicles orbit around the sun on the level of theeclipticthe imaginary plane on which the earth-secret orbit lies. Thanks to the numerous scientific tools on board, the probe has revealed the complex structure of the magnetic field to the south pole and the swirling movement of solar plasma near the surface. The probe, launched on February 5, 2020, will be operational until 2030 thus allowing to study the enigmatic polar regions along the entire 11 -year solar cycle. With the increase of the angle of inclination in the coming years, the data collected will help scientists to finish the models of the solar cycle, predict the activity of our star and in general understand better how the activity of the sun influences that of our planet.
The first observations of the magnetic field at the South Pole
From its privileged orbit, 17th inclined compared to the Solar Equatorial Planthe Solar Orbiter probe has already started to provide us with first exhilarating details of the southern sunculium. Using the tool PHi (Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager), the probe revealed how the magnetic field to the South Sour Pole be anything but ordered. Forget the regular magnetic field lines that enter from one pole and leave another: in the South Sun Pole, at the maximum of its activity of the eleising cycle, they are present Both magnetic fields of north polarity and south.
Their structure is complex and constantly evolvingwith magnetic field intensity that reach values similar to those present in the equatorial bandswhere the magnetic fields solar are more powerful (in fact the solar spots are formed). All this is due to the fact that the magnetic field of the sun tends to invert, thus crossing a phase of strong instability. Once the maximum has passed, the magnetic field regularizes, with a single polarity of the field to the geographical poles of the star. The probe, thanks to his estimated life of 10 yearswill be able to observe the entire duration of this process near the poles.
Measured the movement of the solar plasma
Thanks to the instrument Spice (Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment)the Solar Orbiter probe was able to reconstruct how quickly the sun material moves near the surface, in particular in a transition region where the temperature passes from 10000 ° C to more than 100,000 ° C. Spice is in fact one spectrogradewhich by breaking the light in its constituent wavelengths, is able to identify specific chemical elements Present on the sun surface, such as hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, neon and magnesium. The wavelength of these chemical compounds is known, so any deviation measured by the instrument is due to Movement towards us or far from us of sun material. This is the so -called Doppler effectwhich extends the wavelength if the source moves away from the observer (we on earth), or shortens it if approaches. This is why the siren of an ambulance seems more acute (lesser wavelength) when approaching! Doppler measurements can reveal how particles are expelled from the sun in the form of Solar wind. Discovering how the sun produces the sun wind is one of the main scientific objectives of Solar Orbiter.
What is the Solar Orbiter mission
Solar orbiter It is a spatial mission resulting from an international collaboration between ESA and NASA, but managed by ESA. It is equipped with several tools that allow you to take the sun’s images at different wavelengths, as well as being equipped with tools for the size of the solar magnetic field and the analysis of the sunny wind particles. His mission is to carry out Close observations of the sunboth from equatorial latitudes and above all from high latitudesproviding the First images of the unexplored polar regions of the sun. This will help scientists understand more about our star and study its connection with our planet.
The mission was launched in 2020 And it was designed to observe the sun along its entire cycle of 11 years of activity. The peculiarity with respect to other probes lies in the orbital maneuvers that the probe has carried out and will carry out to tilt its orbit with respect to the plane of the ecliptic, on which the sun-sun orbit lies. In doing so, the probe will be able to take photos and measure the properties of the polar regions of the sun. Solar Orbiter will continue to orbit the sun with this angle of inclination of 17 ° until December 24, 2026, when his next signer of Venus will tilt his orbit of 24 °. From 10 June 2029the probe will orbit around the sun with a corner of 33rd.
