-Spacecraft Capture Sun: Massive Superstorm Developing
The Sun rotates once every 28 days, limiting Earth-based observation of any single active region to approximately two weeks.
Table of Contents
- The Sun rotates once every 28 days, limiting Earth-based observation of any single active region to approximately two weeks.
- Solar Orbiter’s unique orbit allows it to observe areas of the Sun hidden from Earth.
- NOAA 13664 triggered the strongest geomagnetic storms to hit Earth since 2003.
- Scientists combined data from Solar Orbiter and NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory to study NOAA 13664.
Due to its relatively slow rotation, features on the Sun’s surface are only visible from Earth for a limited time. An active region on the Sun takes about two weeks to rotate into view,adn then another two weeks to rotate out of view.
Fortunately, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Solar Orbiter mission, launched in 2020, provides a broader perspective. ioannis Kontogiannis, a solar physicist at ETH Zurich and the Istituto ricerche solari Aldo e Cele Daccò (IRSOL) in Locarno, explained the benefit of this mission.
unlike observatories based on Earth, Solar Orbiter follows an orbit that circles the Sun every six months. This trajectory enables the spacecraft to view areas of the Sun normally obscured from Earth’s perspective, including the far side.
Between April and July 2024, Solar Orbiter observed an exceptionally active solar region. This region, designated NOAA 13664, became visible from Earth in May 2024 and immediately demonstrated its power.
NOAA 13664 triggered the strongest geomagnetic storms to hit Earth since 2003.
NOAA 13664 caused the most important geomagnetic storms since 2003, resulting in spectacular auroral displays.Louise Harra, professor at ETH Zurich and director of the Davos Physical Meteorological Observatory, noted that the aurora borealis was visible as far south as Switzerland in May 2024.
Scientists combined data from Solar Orbiter and NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory to study NOAA 13664.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the formation and evolution of extreme solar regions,an international research team led by Harra and Kontogiannis combined observations from two spacecraft. Solar Orbiter provided data from the far side of the sun,while NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory offered continuous observations from the Earth-Sun line.