Solar Orbiter traces superfast electrons back to sun

The Sun’s hidden particle engines finally exposed

Solar Orbiter has identified the Sun’s dual “engines” for superfast electrons: explosive flares and sweeping coronal mass ejections. By catching over 300 events close to their origin, the mission has solved key mysteries about how these particles travel and why they sometimes appear late. The findings will improve space weather forecasts and help shield spacecraft and astronauts from solar radiation.

ESA’s Solar Orbiter Unlocks the Mystery of the Sun’s Fastest Particles

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Scientists pinpoint how the Sun unleashes electron storms

Solar Orbiter reveals two distinct sources of energetic electrons from the Sun, improving space weather understanding.

Solar Orbiter traces super-fast electrons back to the Sun

Credit: ESA & NASA/Solar Orbiter/STIX & EPD A European Space Agency-led mission has used the Solar Orbiter to track where super energetic electrons come from in the Sun, tracing their origins to 2 events. The findings will help scientists to conduct more accurate space weather forecasts to keep spacecrafts undamaged and operational. “Knowledge such as this from Solar Orbiter will help protect other spacecraft in the future, by letting us better …

Scientists discover explosive origins of superspeed electrons streaming from the sun

The Solar Orbiter spacecraft has tracked near-light-speed electrons back to the sun, finding two distinct families generated by solar flares and CMEs.

Scientists Finally Solve the Mystery of the Sun’s Fastest Particles

The Sun acts as the Solar System’s ultimate particle accelerator, hurling out streams of high-speed electrons. Thanks to ESA’s Solar Orbiter, scientists have traced these energetic electrons back to their solar origins, revealing two distinct types: sudden bursts from solar flares and prolonged waves from massive eruptions called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Solar-Powered Particle Accelerator [...]