The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
Go to topicThis diagram shows some sample sound wave paths connecting the front or Earth side of the Sun with the back or far side. Sound waves are generated by the boiling motion of gas in the Sun's surface layers, called convection.
When country-sized convection cells called 'granules' cool and fall back into the interior they cause sound waves to move into the Sun in all directions. This diagram shows the path of some of the waves from one of these cells starting on the front side.
As the waves move into the Sun they get bent out back to the surface because the sound speed is higher deeper into the Sun. When they get to the surface they get reflected back into the Sun. When they get reflected, the surface layer moves and scientists are able to measure that movement.