Solar Orbiter

space exploration · the Sun · solar science

A Sun-watching probe. Solar Orbiter is a spacecraft built by the European Space Agency and NASA that flies incredibly close to the Sun to take detailed measurements and photos. It's designed to study things we can't easily see from Earth.

Hard to see from here. From Earth, it's really difficult to observe the Sun's polar regions (the areas around its north and south poles). Solar Orbiter travels to special positions in space where it can get close-up views of these hidden parts of the Sun.

Studying solar wind. The Sun constantly shoots out streams of gas and particles called solar wind. Solar Orbiter measures these winds as they're being born near the Sun, which helps scientists understand how the Sun controls the space around it.

Inner heliosphere explorer. The inner heliosphere is the region of space closest to the Sun where solar wind first starts to spread out. Solar Orbiter gathers detailed information about what happens there, helping us understand our star better.