PUNCH mission: Nasa snaps a picture of a rainbow in space
Nasa has released a picture of a rainbow in space!The image was created by putting together photos taken by three instruments from their newly-launched PUNCH mission. It's the first rainbow-coloured view of the sky to be taken by the US space agency.The expedition is hoping to reveal new details about how the Sun's corona moves through the solar system as the solar wind.
What's happened?
PUNCH is the first mission designed to measure the corona and solar wind in 3D, by studying the direction light travels. Last month, a camera on board one of the four satellites which make up PUNCH took three images in succession to create the multi-coloured view. The image shows the faint glow from dust orbiting the Sun. The different colours represent the different strengths and directions of light and the finished picture gives scientists new information on the movement of solar wind.According to Nasa, these early images also help the mission team confirm that PUNCH's cameras are working properly.
What is Nasa's PUNCH mission?
Nasa's Punch mission is made up four small satellites which are in low Earth orbit, observing the Sun and its environment.According to the US Space Agency, the plan is for them to make a global 3D picture of the entire inner heliosphere - that's the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun which surrounds the planets and the Kuiper Belt.By doing this, Nasa hope to find out more about how the Sun's outermost layer of its atmosphere - called the corona - becomes the solar wind.The mission was launched in March 2025 and is expected to last around two years.
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What can cause sweat to appear yellow?
Different factors can cause a person's sweat to change color. Typically, if a person's sweat appears yellow, it may be due to a substance in the sweat or the sweat reacting with a substance on the skin. Sweat is a bodily fluid that the sweat glands in the skin excrete. The primary function of sweat is to help regulate body temperature by cooling the skin as it evaporates. This is why people often perspire in hot weather or when exercising. Sweat mostly consists of water, but also contains other substances. In many cases, sweat may be colorless. However, if there is a high level of certain substances in sweat or on the skin, then sweat may appear different colors, such as yellow. skynesher/Getty Images A few different factors can cause a person's sweat to appear yellow or a different color. Typically, this occurs when a pigment is present in sweat and causes discoloration, or something interacts with sweat on the skin and causes it to appear a different color. For example, lipofuscin is a yellow-brown pigment that the body naturally produces. It is the byproduct of the oxidation process of unsaturated fatty acids. When a person has a higher concentration of lipofuscin in their sweat glands, or lipofuscin that is in a higher state of oxidation, it can cause sweat to appear a different color. In other cases, ingesting water-soluble dyes, heavy metals, and certain chemicals or having these substances present on the skin can cause sweat to appear yellow. Possible causes of yellow sweat may include: The apocrine sweat glands are present in areas of the body that possess many hair follicles, such as the armpit or groin. They produce a thicker sweat, which can be responsible for the smell that people associate with sweat. The eccrine glands are present all over the body and secrete a thin, watery sweat that helps to cool the skin. Certain situations can stimulate apocrine chromhidrosis due to higher levels of lipofuscin. 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Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
