Sun Orbiter
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Successfully Deploys NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope and PUNCH Probes
NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions have successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SPHEREx will map the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colours, while PUNCH will study the transition of the sun’s corona into the solar wind. The two-year missions aim to deepen our understanding of th...
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Vernal Equinox 2025: Date, Time, and the Science Behind the Event
The vernal equinox 2025 is set for March 20 at 09:01 UTC, marking the astronomical start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. This event occurs due to Earth’s axial tilt aligning with its orbit, resulting in nearly equal hours of daylight and night across the globe. While the equinox does not bring perfectly...
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Tiny Plasma Jets on Sun Identified as Key Drivers of Solar Wind
Observations from ESA’s Solar Orbiter have revealed that tiny plasma jets, known as picoflares, are responsible for both the fast and slow components of the solar wind. The discovery challenges previous assumptions that different mechanisms drive these solar wind types. With further research, scientists hope to refine space weather predictions, p...
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Mysterious Interstellar Object Might Have Shifted Four Planets’ Paths, Study Finds
A mysterious interstellar object, estimated to be eight times the mass of Jupiter, may have significantly altered the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune billions of years ago. A study suggests that this body passed remarkably close to the Sun, potentially influencing planetary trajectories. Simulations conducted by researchers indicate ...
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Alien Cosmic Visitor Might Have Completely Rearranged Our Solar System, Study Finds
The research, yet to be peer-reviewed, sheds light on what could have changed the orbits of several planets in the solar system.
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ESA Uses Solar Orbiter to Turn Solar Flares into Sound, Offering New Insights
The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with NASA, has used data from the Solar Orbiter mission to convert solar flares into audible sound. By mapping solar flare data into blue circles and pairing them with tones, a new way to experience solar activity has been created. This process is linked to the sun’s 11-year solar cycle, with curr...
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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.
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NASA Confirms Successful Flyby of Parker Solar Probe, Completes Closest Sun Approach
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has set an unprecedented milestone, coming 3.8 million miles from the Sun at a speed of 430,000 mph. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft has utilised Venus flybys to perfect its orbit, enabling this historic feat. With advanced technology, it endures extreme temperatures, gathering critical data about solar wind and particle ...
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Study Explores Sun’s Magnetic Field Changes and Solar Wind Acceleration
A study published in The Astrophysical Journal has shed light on how the Sun’s magnetic field influences solar wind acceleration. Using data from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, researchers observed that sharp magnetic switchbacks smooth out into gentler waves as they travel further from the Sun. This relaxation process transfers magnet...
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ISRO Successfully Launches PSLV-C59 Carrying ESA’s Proba-3 Satellites
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C59 rocket on December 5, 2024, from Sriharikota, deploying the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 satellites into orbit. Proba-3, a twin-satellite mission, aims to demonstrate precision formation flying, achieving control down to a millimeter. The spacecraft will cre...
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India to Launch European Proba-3 Satellites Today: How to Watch Live and Everything You Need to Know
ESA’s Proba-3 mission, set to launch aboard India’s PSLV rocket on 4th December 2024, will create artificial eclipses in space using two satellites. These eclipses will allow extended observations of the Sun’s corona, advancing solar research and testing innovative formation-flying technology. The mission marks a major step in satellite colla...
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Solar Activity Increase Results in Shortens Lifespan of Binar CubeSats
Curtin University’s Binar CubeSats, launched with a six-month mission lifespan, re-entered Earth's atmosphere after only two months due to unexpectedly high solar activity. This surge in solar phenomena has increased atmospheric drag, impacting the stability of satellites in low Earth orbit. As solar forecasting remains limited, smaller satellite...
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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...
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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.
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Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors: What Makes Each Celestial Object Unique
NASA planetary scientists explain that asteroids, comets, and meteors all orbit the Sun but differ greatly in their composition, appearance, and behaviour. These objects play unique roles in understanding the solar system’s formation and evolution.
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Successfully Deploys NASA’s SPHEREx Telescope and PUNCH Probes
NASA’s SPHEREx and PUNCH missions have successfully launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. SPHEREx will map the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colours, while PUNCH will study the transition of the sun’s corona into the solar wind. The two-year missions aim to deepen our understanding of th...
-
Vernal Equinox 2025: Date, Time, and the Science Behind the Event
The vernal equinox 2025 is set for March 20 at 09:01 UTC, marking the astronomical start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. This event occurs due to Earth’s axial tilt aligning with its orbit, resulting in nearly equal hours of daylight and night across the globe. While the equinox does not bring perfectly...
-
Tiny Plasma Jets on Sun Identified as Key Drivers of Solar Wind
Observations from ESA’s Solar Orbiter have revealed that tiny plasma jets, known as picoflares, are responsible for both the fast and slow components of the solar wind. The discovery challenges previous assumptions that different mechanisms drive these solar wind types. With further research, scientists hope to refine space weather predictions, p...
-
Mysterious Interstellar Object Might Have Shifted Four Planets’ Paths, Study Finds
A mysterious interstellar object, estimated to be eight times the mass of Jupiter, may have significantly altered the orbits of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune billions of years ago. A study suggests that this body passed remarkably close to the Sun, potentially influencing planetary trajectories. Simulations conducted by researchers indicate ...
-
Alien Cosmic Visitor Might Have Completely Rearranged Our Solar System, Study Finds
The research, yet to be peer-reviewed, sheds light on what could have changed the orbits of several planets in the solar system.
-
ESA Uses Solar Orbiter to Turn Solar Flares into Sound, Offering New Insights
The European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with NASA, has used data from the Solar Orbiter mission to convert solar flares into audible sound. By mapping solar flare data into blue circles and pairing them with tones, a new way to experience solar activity has been created. This process is linked to the sun’s 11-year solar cycle, with curr...
-
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.
-
NASA Confirms Successful Flyby of Parker Solar Probe, Completes Closest Sun Approach
NASA's Parker Solar Probe has set an unprecedented milestone, coming 3.8 million miles from the Sun at a speed of 430,000 mph. Launched in 2018, the spacecraft has utilised Venus flybys to perfect its orbit, enabling this historic feat. With advanced technology, it endures extreme temperatures, gathering critical data about solar wind and particle ...
-
Study Explores Sun’s Magnetic Field Changes and Solar Wind Acceleration
A study published in The Astrophysical Journal has shed light on how the Sun’s magnetic field influences solar wind acceleration. Using data from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, researchers observed that sharp magnetic switchbacks smooth out into gentler waves as they travel further from the Sun. This relaxation process transfers magnet...
-
ISRO Successfully Launches PSLV-C59 Carrying ESA’s Proba-3 Satellites
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the PSLV-C59 rocket on December 5, 2024, from Sriharikota, deploying the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 satellites into orbit. Proba-3, a twin-satellite mission, aims to demonstrate precision formation flying, achieving control down to a millimeter. The spacecraft will cre...
-
India to Launch European Proba-3 Satellites Today: How to Watch Live and Everything You Need to Know
ESA’s Proba-3 mission, set to launch aboard India’s PSLV rocket on 4th December 2024, will create artificial eclipses in space using two satellites. These eclipses will allow extended observations of the Sun’s corona, advancing solar research and testing innovative formation-flying technology. The mission marks a major step in satellite colla...
-
Solar Activity Increase Results in Shortens Lifespan of Binar CubeSats
Curtin University’s Binar CubeSats, launched with a six-month mission lifespan, re-entered Earth's atmosphere after only two months due to unexpectedly high solar activity. This surge in solar phenomena has increased atmospheric drag, impacting the stability of satellites in low Earth orbit. As solar forecasting remains limited, smaller satellite...
-
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.
-
Asteroids, Comets, and Meteors: What Makes Each Celestial Object Unique
NASA planetary scientists explain that asteroids, comets, and meteors all orbit the Sun but differ greatly in their composition, appearance, and behaviour. These objects play unique roles in understanding the solar system’s formation and evolution.
