Close to the wind. This video is made from the closest-ever images of our Sun, taken 6.1 million kilometres from the solar surface by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. The mist-like swirls are solar wind, electrically charged particles that stream constantly from the Sun’s outer layer.
On Earth, solar wind is responsible for the colourful auroras that we know as the Northern and Southern lights. The particles can also trigger geomagnetic storms if they are travelling fast enough. This ultra-close-up view of the Sun could help scientists to better understand solar wind and its impacts on Earth.
NASA/Johns Hopkins APL/Naval Research Lab
