The mission patch for ESA's upcoming space weather mission, Vigil, depicts a stylised wing of protection which shelters Earth from the Sun’s hazardous radiation.
The apex of the wing touches Vigil’s orbital position and the critical geometry of this Lagrange point relative to the Earth and Sun is traced out. To balance out the mission patch, the L5 point is emphasised with the five stars shown just above the blue Earth. The position of the wing, emanating from the side of the Sun-Earth system, illustrates the vital importance of geometry to this mission.
Vigil will get a sneak peek of potentially hazardous solar activity only because of its location in space. Trailing ‘behind’ Earth at the fifth Lagrange point, ESA’s Vigil will see the side of the Sun, observing conditions before they rotate around to face our home.