12 Jun 2025
First glimpse of Sun’s south pole captured: Why this is a big deal
On Wednesday, the European Space Agency (ESA) released images captured by three instruments on board the Solar Orbiter. Taken from a distance of around 40 million miles (roughly 65 million kilometres), the photos reveal a detailed view of the Sun’s south pole. Notably, Solar Orbiter is a joint mission between ESA and Nasa. According to Prof Carole Mundell, ESA’s Director of Science, these are the closest and most detailed images of the Sun ever recorded. Scientists hope the visuals will deepen our understanding of how the Sun works