Latest news with #WISPR
USA Today
7 hours ago
- Science
- USA Today
The Parker Solar probe captures closest-ever images of the Sun. See the results.
Newly released imagery from NASA shows the Sun's corona in stunning detail after the Parker Solar probe performed its closest-ever flyby. On its closest-ever flyby to the Sun, NASA's Parker Solar probe captured newly released images of solar winds purging out from the Sun's outermost atmosphere, the Corona. Scientists are learning more about the Sun's impact throughout the solar system, including events that may have an impact on Earth. 'Parker Solar Probe has once again transported us into the dynamic atmosphere of our closest star,' said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington in a recent release. 'We are witnessing where space weather threats to Earth begin, with our eyes, not just with models. This new data will help us vastly improve our space weather predictions to ensure the safety of our astronauts and the protection of our technology here on Earth and throughout the solar system.' Sun's solar wind captured in detail For the first time, the probe recorded in high resolution the collision of numerous coronal mass ejections (or CMEs) which are massive explosions of charged particles that play a major role in space weather. 'In these images, we're seeing the CMEs basically piling up on top of one another,' said Angelos Vourlidas, the WISPR instrument scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which designed, built, and operates the spacecraft in Laurel, Maryland. 'We're using this to figure out how the CMEs merge together, which can be important for space weather.' Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. The Parker Solar Probe discovered that while the solar wind is a steady breeze near Earth, it is anything but at the Sun. The spacecraft experienced switchbacks, or zigzag magnetic fields, when it got within 14.7 million miles of the Sun. Scientists found that these switchbacks, which occurred in clusters, were more frequent than anticipated using data from the Parker Solar Probe. How close was the probe to the sun? On December 24, 2024, the Parker Solar Probe began its closest approach to the Sun, traveling only 3.8 million miles from the solar surface. Putting that into perspective, if the Earth and Sun were only 1 foot apart, the Parker probe would be about a 1/2 inch from the Sun's surface, according to NASA. In the spacecraft's closest orbit to the Sun, it used a variety of scientific instruments, including the Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe (or WISPR) to gather data as it passed through the Sun's outer atmosphere, or corona. The solar wind, a continuous flow of electrically charged particles from the Sun that rages throughout the solar system and the corona are both visible in the new WISPR photos. Knowing the origins of the solar wind near the Sun is the first step towards comprehending its effects, according to NASA. More: James Webb Space Telescope marks 3rd anniversary: What to know about observatory More: NASA astronaut captures rare phenomenon from 250 miles above Earth: See photo of 'sprite' How the Sun's solar winds impact Earth's atmosphere The Earth's magnetic field is our invisible protector. The field creates a barrier that shields us from the powerful solar winds. The magnetic field can occasionally become disrupted by stronger solar winds. According to NASA, in some cases, it can also trigger space weather events that interfere with everything from land-based power networks to ship communications on our oceans to our satellites in orbit. Stunning auroras are also created when the particle stream interacts with gases in the planet's magnetic field. Parker Solar Probe is expected to continue gathering more data in its present orbit as it makes future passes through the corona to assist scientists to discover the origins of the sluggish solar wind. The next pass is scheduled for September 15, 2025. SOURCE NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Johns Hopkins APL, Naval Research Laboratory and USA TODAY research
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
What happens near the Sun? NASA's Parker probe sends closest-ever photos of the Sun, unveils space weather origins
TIL Creatives During its first perihelion on October 29, 2018, NASA's Parker Solar Probe passed within 26.55 million miles (approximately 42.7 million kilometers) of the Sun, setting a new record as the closest-ever human-made object to the Sun. (Representative Image) NASA has released the closest photos ever taken of the Sun, captured by the Parker Solar Probe during a record-breaking flyby in December 2024. The images show the Sun's outer atmosphere and solar wind in stunning detail. It will help scientists better understand the forces that shape space weather. Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe was designed to study the Sun's corona. On Christmas Eve last year, it flew just 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface, the closest any spacecraft has ever been. The images were taken using a specialized camera system known as the Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR). Also Read: Cheaper than eggs, healthier than meat; the superfood that could save your health and the planet, and we are skipping it'These photos take us into the dynamic atmosphere of our closest star,' said Nicky Fox, a senior NASA science official. 'We're seeing where space weather begins, not through models, but with our own eyes.' The images reveal powerful solar activity, including coronal mass ejections (CMEs), huge bursts of solar material, and magnetic fields. For the first time, scientists observed multiple CMEs colliding in high resolution. 'We're watching CMEs pile up on each other,' said Angelos Vourlidas, a scientist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which built and operates the probe. 'This helps us learn how they merge and how that affects space weather.'Watch: Such solar events can cause beautiful auroras on Earth, but they also pose risks to satellites, power grids, and even astronauts in space. The WISPR images also show the heliospheric current sheet, a region where the Sun's magnetic field flips direction. Understanding this region is key to explaining the solar wind, a steady stream of charged particles from the Sun that affects the entire solar system.'The solar wind, especially the slow stream, is still a mystery,' said Nour Rawafi, Parker's project scientist. 'But this probe is helping us get closer to the answers.'Since its launch, the Parker Solar Probe has steadily broken its own distance records. It first became the closest human-made object to the Sun in 2018. Each pass provides more insights into the Sun's magnetic field, surface activity, and next flyby is scheduled for September 15, 2025. Scientists hope it will unlock more clues about the origins and behavior of the Sun's powerful outflows.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Closest- ever glimpse of the Sun: Nasa probe captures rare solar fury— watch
Closest- ever glimpse of the sun (Image: Youtube/ NASAGoddard) Nasa in a landmark development for space science has released never-seen-before close-range footage of the Sun's violent activity, recorded by its Parker Solar Probe . The images offer a rare, real-time look into one of the most powerful coronal mass ejections (CMEs) ever captured. Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe was designed to study the Sun's outer atmosphere — the corona. On December 24, 2024, it made its closest-ever approach, flying just 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface, and captured highly detailed images of a CME using its onboard camera system, WISPR (wide-field imager for parker solar probe). The Closest Images Ever Taken of the Sun's Atmosphere The visuals revealed turbulent flows and swirling eddies inside the CME — the first direct visual proof of Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, a fluid dynamic effect long suspected but never observed this close to the Sun. Since its launch, the Parker Probe has consistently broken its own records for closest distance to the Sun. The visuals mark the first time scientists have directly observed such detailed solar plasma behaviour from within the CME itself. 'We're watching CMEs pile up on each other,' said Angelos Vourlidas, scientist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which built and operates the probe. 'This helps us learn how they merge and how that affects space weather.' Despite flying through intense heat and radiation, Nasa has confirmed that all systems of Parker Probe remained fully operational, showcasing the engineering marvel behind the mission. What Parker Probe revealed so far Experts believe the data could vastly enhance predictions for space weather, which affect not just satellites but also astronaut safety in space and global communication systems. "We are witnessing where space weather threats to Earth begin, with our eyes, not just with models," said Nicky Fox, associate administrator at Nasa. "This new data will also help us improve our technology for the safety of astronauts and our technology, both in space and on Earth." Its next flyby is scheduled for September 15, 2025, with scientists hoping to unlock further secrets about how solar outflows originate and evolve.
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Science
- Al Etihad
NASA probe takes images from 'closest' ever spot from the Sun
11 July 2025 12:20 Washington (dpa) US space agency NASA on Thursday released images captured by a probe within the Sun's atmosphere. NASA's Parker Solar Probe started its closest approach to the Sun on December 24, getting as close as 6.1 million kilometres to the solar surface, the space agency said. NASA said the images were "taken closer to the Sun than we've ever been before," and showed features in the corona and solar wind - a constant stream of electrically charged particles from the star that rage across the solar system at speeds exceeding 1 million miles an hour. The Parker Solar Probe, about the size of a small car, launched in 2018 and in 2021 became the first spacecraft to enter the Sun's atmosphere. This is the view from WITHIN the Sun's atmosphere! ☀️👀🛰️NASA's Parker Solar Probe just released imagery from its closest-ever flyby of the Sun, revealing details in the solar atmosphere that scientists will be studying for years. More: — NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) July 10, 2025 "Parker Solar Probe has once again transported us into the dynamic atmosphere of our closest star," said NASA's Nicky Fox. "We are witnessing where space weather threats to Earth begin, with our eyes, not just with models. This new data will help us vastly improve our space weather predictions to ensure the safety of our astronauts and the protection of our technology here on Earth and throughout the solar system."The images were taken with the Wide-Field Imager for Parker Solar Probe (WISPR). The tool, about the size of a shoebox, is the only imaging tool on the probe. The new WISPR images show the corona and solar wind as well as the heliospheric current sheet - the boundary where the star's magnetic field direction switches from northward to southward. The tool also captured the first high-resolution images of the collision of multiple coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which are a key driver of space weather."In these images, we're seeing the CMEs basically piling up on top of one another," said Angelos Vourlidas from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, which designed, built and operates the spacecraft. "We're using this to figure out how the CMEs merge together, which can be important for space weather," Vourlidas said.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Science
- ABC News
NASA publishes highly-detailed imagery from Parker Solar Probe's closest-ever approach to the Sun
The US space agency has revealed images taken from the closest-ever distance from the Sun, showing massive plumes of solar material spewing out into space. They were taken last December, when the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Parker Solar Probe made its closest approach to the Sun. The probe passed by within 6.2 million kilometres of the Sun — the first time it had got so close to the solar star. And while it has since made two more close approaches to the Sun, we're only now seeing the incredibly detailed imagery from that first trip now. "The amount of clarity and the amount of details that we got from Parker Solar Probe is totally unprecedented," Parker Solar Probe project scientist Nour Rawafi said. "But also we see phenomena that you didn't really see before and that's where the fun begins." What you're looking at is solar wind spewing out from the solar atmosphere — called the corona — and onwards into our solar system. The imagery shows a stream of electrically charged particles spewing out from the Sun in huge bursts. Scientists call these coronal mass ejections (CMEs). And the images from the Parker Probe show us those events in high definition for the first time. The imagery was captured with the Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe, which has been nicknamed WISPR. "We're seeing the CMEs basically piling up on top of one another," WISPR instrument scientist Angelos Vourlidas said in a NASA article. The yellow dotted lines in these images highlight three different CMEs. It also shows something called heliospheric current sheet. That's the boundary where the direction of the Sun's magnetic field switches from north to south. While the imagery is spectacular to look at, the whole mission isn't about capturing cool videos from space. The idea is that learning more about the Sun will help scientists better prepare us for the impacts of space events have on Earth. It's a term for things that happen outside the Earth's atmosphere which impact the near-Earth space environment and our technology here on Earth. And it's not just something NASA thinks about. Here in Australia, the Bureau of Meteorolgy has a special department dedicated to it, called the Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC). "The primary source of space weather is the Sun, with the greatest disturbances usually caused by solar flares and subsequent geomagnetic storms," the ASWFC website says. Space weather events like CMEs can lead to what's called geomagnetic storms, the phenomena that causes the aurora australis (or the aurora borealis if you're in the Northern Hemisphere). The centre monitors and forecasts space weather conditions, which include solar activity, and geophysical and ionospheric conditions. One function of the ASWFC is putting out geomagnetic storm alerts, which aurora chasers use so they can set themselves up to take stunning photos like this one. if you're interested, you sign up to the ASWFC alerts via this online portal, you'll get an email next time an aurora might be brewing. But space weather is not just about pretty lights. Severe solar weather can create a whole lot of problems on Earth. "It offers serious threats to increasingly complex communications and technological systems," the ASWFC's website explains. "Space weather disturbances can interrupt HF radio, damage power grids, threaten satellite transmissions and instruments, including avionics in extreme circumstances, and reduce the life of satellites in low earth orbits." This can translate to things like navigational issues for pilots, hampering communications with emergency services and, in some cases, cause power outages. "Our ability to observe and monitor solar activity is crucial," the ASWFC says in a fact sheet. It points to a CME in July 2012 which impacted a NASA satellite, but thankfully missed Earth. "A 2013 study estimated that the USA would have suffered between $600 billion and $2.6 trillion in damages, mainly to electrical infrastructure, if this coronal mass ejection had been directed towards the Earth," the fact sheet said. "We are witnessing where space weather threats to Earth begin, with our eyes, not just with models," NASA's Nicky Fox said. "This new data will help us vastly improve our space weather predictions to ensure the safety of our astronauts and the protection of our technology here on Earth and throughout the solar system."
