NASA has released the closest-ever photos of the sun, taken by the Parker Solar Probe at just 3.8 million miles (6.1 million kilometers) from the star's surface. The new images reveal important features in the solar wind that will help scientists understand the origins of this mysterious space weather phenomenon and its effects on life on Earth.
The solar wind is the constant stream of charged particles — mainly protons and electrons — released by the sun's outer atmosphere, known as the corona. This torrent of matter speeds through the solar system at more than a million miles an hour, combining with magnetic fields and material jettisoned from the sun to create auroras, strip planetary atmospheres, and generate electric currents that can interfere with power networks on Earth. Understanding and predicting this space weather is vital to protecting astronauts and spacecrafts, and minimizing the disruptions to infrastructure sometimes caused by strong solar activity.
