The sun, as the single star responsible for providing light and warmth to Earth, attracts the attention of many scientists worldwide. Its colossal size and strength lead to its influence on every planet within our solar system, particularly the Earth.
NASA has been leading the way in studying our sun for many years using different missions that reveal more about this incredible star each time. Over the years, NASA has made some progress in technology and research which have helped us know more about the sun.
The recent advancements by NASA enable us to gather information on different aspects concerning the most important celestial body in our planetary system like its enigmatic magnetic field or reasons why the surface never looks the same?
The Sun’s Magnetic Field: A Recipe for Solar Storms
An intriguing revelation was made by NASA in October 2023 concerning the magnetic field of the sun. This is because through serving as the shield that protects us from solar winds, the role of the magnetic field becomes more understandable in relation to space weather and its influence on our planet.
During a very strong solar storm, data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) revealed that the eruption occurred due to the convergence of opposite magnetic field polarity in two separate regions on the surface of the sun. Such collisions result in powerful electric currents which heat up atmospheric particles and propel them at high speeds towards Earth.
Studying such phenomena is important since they have the potential of disrupting satellite communication, GPS and even affecting the Earth’s power grids. NASA expects that by understanding how these tempests work, it would be possible for them to predict their behavior so as to reduce/prevent harm from the same.
The Sun’s Atmosphere: A Fascinating Study in Science
For the past decade, NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) has been offering breathtaking pictures of the sun. With such images provided by its high-resolution camera, we can now see all occurring events at the surface of the sun in a better manner as it is explained in this article.
An announcement was made by NASA in June 2024 stating that SDO had captured an extraordinary event known as a “campfire.” These previously invisible small flickers of lights seem to provide a clue on some activities happening in the solar atmosphere. It is thought that analysis of these campfires may help determine some important characteristics about the sun and how it acts.
Moreover, a collaborative Solar Orbiter project between NASA and ESA was announced by the European Space Agency (ESA) in November 2023. Specifically, this mission aims at taking pictures for the first time of the solar poles from which we will be able to better understand the Sun’s character.
In addition to that, it would gather some data concerning; how the solar wind blows and what impact it has on our solar system as well?
The Sun’s Impact on Climate Change
NASA’s research primarily seeks to comprehend the sun and minimally on how it affects the earth. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) used to say that the variations in solar energy were not responsible for global warming. Nevertheless new evidence indicates a different story.
The total solar irradiance (TSI) is measured by NASA from the amount of sunlight energy that reaches our planet using a device called Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM), which is installed on one of their satellites moving around the Earth. There was a strange fall in TSI as recorded by TIM in June 2024; this made environmental scientists think that such fluctuations may affect the climate on Earth.
The significance of studying the sun to understand climate change better is brought out in this report. NASA’s missions at present offer data that can be used not just in learning about the star within our solar system but also for other related research.
Solar Orbiter: A Milestone Mission
Launched in February 2024, Solar Orbiter is NASA’s most recent mission which represents a key point of the space agency’s research on the sun for over twenty years. With ten instruments for taking pictures and gathering information from different points of view, it was also launched under cooperation with ESA.
An example of these tools is the Remote-Sensing Magnetometer (RSM), which measures magnetic fields at the surface that connect back to Earth and cause space weather effects. Such measurements will add to the ones made by the SDO as well as other NASA spacecraft studying our star.
Solar Orbiter is anticipated to capture images with ten times greater resolution compared to those of all its predecessors. As a result, scientists will be able to see in great detail some phenomena that occur on the surface of the sun like coronal mass ejections which would have devastating effects for a highly technologically dependent society on Earth if they are aimed at us.
In the short period that this milestone mission has been operational, it has already given us some new knowledge. The longer the milestone mission stays in orbit, the more information is collected on the behavior of the sun.
Final Thoughts
The cutting-edge research of NASA on the star of our solar system is seen with new discoveries that continuously defy our knowledge.
The information obtained from its missions, such as the study of magnetic fields, monitoring of CMEs and their effects on Earth, goes a long way in enhancing what we know but also helping us solve some real technological and environmental problems.
There is much to expect in the future regarding the sun with promising projects like Solar Orbiter and continuous studies by NASA spacecraft such as SDO.
As we continue to explore this giant ball of gas that brings light and life to our planet, one thing is for sure- there will always be something new waiting for us beyond its fiery surface!
