Surface imprint of a solar flare
While Solar Orbiter’s Extreme Ultraviolet Imager studied the roiling magnetic fields of the 30 September 2024 solar flare up close, the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) instrument observed the wider-field imprint of the flare on the Sun’s visible surface (photosphere) in impressive detail, completing the three-dimensional picture of the flare.
The video provides both imagery (left) and a ‘running difference’ sequence (right) to better highlight changes.
The two white arrows point to the imprints of some of the raining plasma blob ‘ribbons’, showing the effect of the flare right through the solar atmosphere.
Solar Orbiter is a space mission of international collaboration between ESA and NASA, operated by ESA. The Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) instrument is led by the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Germany.
Magnetic regions on the Sun viewed by Solar Orbiter
The Sun’s granulation pattern viewed by Solar Orbiter
Small-scale magnetism leads to large-scale solar atmosphere
Solar flare seen by Solar Orbiter
