On February 15, 2022, an immense cloud escaped from the sun. The space telescope EUI onboard the Solar Orbiter satellite could capture the solar cloud while it was hurled into space. EUI followed the solar cloud over a distance of 3,5 million kms. Never before could a single telescope image the journey of a solar cloud from the early start to this far into space.
EUI captured a giant solar eruption on 15 February 2022, reaching up to a distance over 3,5 million kilometers.
Credit: Solar Orbiter/EUI Team/ESA & NASA
Solar Orbiter was launched in February 2020. Since November 2021 only, the instruments onboard are collecting scientific data. The EUI images hit like a hammer. David Berghmans, EUI principal investigator: ‘Amazing to see that the cloud stayed visible up to the edge of our widescreen camera. A while ago, with another camera designed to observe in detail, we saw small ‘campfires’ on the sun. Now it seems that the widescreen camera can beautifully image space further away from the sun. This allows us to link the details in the solar atmosphere with what happens further up.’
EUI movie of the solar cloud escaping the sun.
A movie of the event can be downloaded here (mp4)).
Credit: Solar Orbiter/EUI Team/ESA & NASA
More details and movies can be found on the ESA website.
