The Solar Orbiter mission photographed the Sun, leading the European Space Agency (ESA) to release, for the first time, high-resolution images of the star’s surface.

These images revealed solar spots and the continuously moving plasma on the Sun’s surface. The photographs could give scientists new insights that will help unlock the secrets of the star.

☀️ 🛰️@ESASolarOrbiter’s daring trajectory close to the Sun is paying off, giving us the highest-resolution full views of the Sun’s surface to date.
Full story 👉 https://t.co/Cy0H6JZmlp pic.twitter.com/0IyEDeLpX0

— ESA Science (@esascience) November 20, 2024

The images, released on Wednesday (November 20), showcase the movements of the Sun’s magnetic field and the glow of the Solar Corona (the Sun’s outer atmosphere).

The Solar Orbiter mission is a collaboration between the European Space Agency and NASA. The spacecraft was launched in February 2020 and is currently orbiting the Sun at an average distance of 42 million kilometers.

Two Missions Answer Questions About the Sun
The Solar Orbiter and the Parker Solar Probe missions are aimed at answering crucial questions from the scientific community about the Sun. These include the energy source that powers particles and creates the Solar Wind, and why the Solar Corona is hotter than the Sun’s surface.

The Parker Solar Probe is set to make the closest approach to the Sun ever attempted by a spacecraft in late December, while the Solar Orbiter is tasked with capturing the closest images of the Sun’s surface.

“The Sun’s magnetic field is key to understanding the dynamic nature of our star,” said Daniel Muller, a scientist with the Solar Orbiter program.