Solar Surface

• 

  NASA Study Finds Solar Wind Could Be Key to Water Formation on the Moon

  A recent study indicates that water on the lunar surface may come from the solar wind. The results suggest that other airless bodies in the solar system may also have water on their surfaces, therefore highlighting the possibility of finding such water on the surface of other such objects.

• 

  NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Completes Second Close Flyby of the Sun at Record Speed

  NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed a close flyby of the Sun on March 22, travelling at 692,000 kilometres per hour and approaching within 6.1 million kilometres of the solar surface. The mission, designed to study solar winds and space weather, received a healthy signal back on March 25. The team, including NASA and Johns Hopkins APL experts, ha...

• 

  Enceladus' Geysers May Not Come from Underground Ocean, Study Suggests

  Enceladus, one of Saturn’s most intriguing moons, has long been thought to have water plumes erupting from its underground ocean. However, a recent study proposes an alternative explanation, suggesting the plumes may originate from a semi-liquid layer within the moon’s ice shell. Researchers believe shear heating along fractures creates slushy,...

• 

  Massive 500,000-Mile Coronal Hole on the Sun Blasts Solar Wind Toward Earth

  A gigantic coronal hole, spanning 500,000 miles, has formed on the sun’s surface, allowing solar wind to escape at speeds of over 310 miles per second. Forecasts indicate that this solar wind may reach Earth by January 31, triggering a minor (G1) geomagnetic storm. While no severe impact is expected, the storm could enhance auroras at higher lati...

• 

  Stunning Images Of Mercury's Surface Captured By ESA Spacecraft

  Barely larger than our own Moon, Mercury orbits precariously close to the Sun at an average distance of roughly 58 million kilometres.

• 

  Parker Solar Probe's Closest Sun Flyby Sets Records, Signal Expected Soon

  The Parker Solar Probe achieved the closest-ever sun flyby on Christmas Eve, reaching within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface and travelling at 430,000 miles per hour. Scientists are now waiting for a signal expected on December 27 to confirm the spacecraft’s health. Detailed telemetry and collected data are anticipated by January 1, with o...

• 

  NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Achieves Closest Sun Flyby Ever on December 24

  NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will make its closest-ever flyby of the sun on December 24, 2024, passing within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface at a speed of 430,000 mph. This marks the 22nd close encounter of the spacecraft’s mission, which aims to provide unprecedented insights into the sun’s corona and other solar phenomena. Despite extr...

• 

  Chiron's Unique Surface and Coma: Key Insights from Recent Space Research

  Recent research has provided critical insights into Chiron, a celestial body between Jupiter and Neptune. Through observations by the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists discovered volatile ices and gases such as carbon dioxide and methane on its surface. Chiron’s gaseous coma offers researchers the opportunity to study gases from below its su...

• 

  NASA’s InSight Mars Lander Captured with Dust Layers by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

  NASA’s retired InSight Mars lander has been spotted by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) in a recent image taken on October 23, 2024. The image, captured using the HiRISE camera, shows dust accumulation on InSight’s solar panels, now matching the reddish-brown Martian surface. This observation provides insights into wind patterns and dust m...

• 

  Mars Dust Storms May Be Predictable Based on Surface Heating Patterns

  A new study suggests warm days on Mars often precede dust storms, with researchers analysing data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The findings show 78% of storms correlate with increased solar heating, particularly in northern regions of the planet. Scientists have developed an algorithm predicting certain storm types with 64% confidence, ...

• 

  ISRO Gets Government Nod for Shukrayaan Venus Orbiter Mission and Chandrayaan-4

  India’s Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM) and Chandrayaan-4 mission, approved by the government in September 2024, mark historic steps toward India's space vision for 2047. VOM will study Venus's surface, atmosphere, and solar interaction, while Chandrayaan-4 will return lunar samples from the South Pole. These missions are set to advance technology an...

• 

  NASA Europa Clipper Advances Toward Jupiter’s Moon, Instruments Successfully Deployed

  NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, launched in October 2024, is journeying toward Jupiter’s moon Europa to study its icy surface and hidden ocean. Currently over 13 million miles from Earth, the spacecraft has successfully deployed its solar arrays, magnetometer boom, and radar antennas. It will use a gravity assist from Mars in March 2025 to ad...

• 

  Solar Orbiter Sends High-Resolution Images of Sun’s Surface, Unveiling New Details

  The Solar Orbiter spacecraft has sent back the sharpest images of the sun’s surface, captured from 74 million kilometres away. These high-resolution images reveal the sun’s dynamic surface features, including granular patterns and sunspots. The spacecraft’s instruments also provided detailed maps of the sun’s magnetic fields, shedding light...

• 

  NASA's Solar Orbiter Captures Highest-Resolution Images Of The Sun To Date

  The Solar Orbiter mission has provided the most detailed images yet of the Sun's visible surface, capturing stunning views of sunspots and plasma flows.

• 

  NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Makes Final Venus Flyby Before Historic Sun Encounter

  NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, launched in 2018, will make its final Venus flyby on Nov. 6. This manoeuvre will bring the spacecraft into a new orbit, allowing it to approach within 3.8 million miles of the sun, closer than any human-made object has been. While the probe’s primary mission is to study the sun, its instruments have captured rare data...