 | | | | |
| | | | | |
|
Space Science About Space ScienceESA's 'Cosmic Vision'Science & Technology in-depthMultimedia Science imagesScience videosAnimationsDownloadsSounds from spaceMedia centre Press ReleasesPress kitsESA TelevisionResources Reference sectionGlossaryFAQs Science missions Services HelpLegal disclaimerCommentsSubscribeFollow us  RSS feeds ESA Sci on Twitter
| | | | | | | Surprises from the Sun’s South Pole
19 February 2007
| A joint ESA and NASA mission, Ulysses (named after the hero of Greek legend) has charted the reaches of space above and below the poles of the Sun for more than seventeen years. It provided the first-ever map of the heliosphere – the sphere of influence of the Sun – in the four dimensions of space and time.
Exploring our star's environment is vital if scientists are to build a complete picture of the Sun, how it works and its effect on the Solar System. In particular, the satellite studied the solar wind that blows non-stop from the Sun and carves out the heliosphere itself, which extends well beyond the outer limits of the Solar System.
Ulysses was equipped with a comprehensive range of scientific instruments to detect and measure solar wind ions and electrons, magnetic fields, energetic particles, cosmic rays, natural radio and plasma waves, cosmic dust, neutral interstellar gas, solar X-rays and cosmic Gamma Ray Bursts.
Ulysses was launched by Space Shuttle Discovery in October 1990. It headed out to Jupiter, arriving in February 1992 for the gravity-assist manoeuvre that swung the craft into its unique solar orbit. It has orbited the Sun three times and performed six polar passes. The mission concludes on 1 July 2008.
Credits: ESA | |  |  | |
| | | | | Variations of the coronal temperature measured with the SWICS instrument on board ESA-NASA’s Ulysses from December 1990 to January 2007. Solar wind flow from coronal holes is characterized by high solar wind speed (700-800 kilometres per second) and low coronal temperature (1 – 1.3 million Kelvin).
Credits: R. von Steiger and G. Gloeckler | | | | |
| |
| | More about... Ulysses overviewRelated articles International Heliophysical Year beginsUlysses scores a hat-trickUlysses embarks on third set of polar passesUlysses, fifteen years and going strongSolar magnetism: a simple or complex business?A piece of our Galaxy in our backyardParticles and comet tails...The 'Great Observatory'Ulysses: looking at the futureRelated links NASA's Ulysses web site
|
HI-RES JPEG (Size: 
HI RES TIFF (Size: 
HI-RES JPEG (Size: