Science nuggets: Rapid Composition Changes in the Hot and Cool Plasma Components during the 2024 September 30th Magnetic Eruption

23 September 2026

The chemical composition of the solar corona sometimes differs from that of the underlying photosphere. Elements with a low first ionization potential (FIP), such as Fe, Mg, Si and Ca, are typically enriched in the corona by a factor of about three to four relative to elements with a high FIP, such as O, Ne and Ar [1]. Because the... read more

Science nugget: Solar Orbiter as Part of a Fleet of Spacecraft to Derive Power Laws for CME Evolution

16 September 2026

A major observational constraint on the evolution of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) from the Sun to Earth is given by in situ observations of ICMEs at different distances from the Sun. As Solar Orbiter is cruising in the inner heliosphere, it has so far observed 159 CMEs in situ, from mission start in early 2020 up to the... read more

Science nugget: Prediction Modeling and Solar Orbiter: How PHI Provided a Sneak Peek Beneath the East Limb for the 2026 Total Solar Eclipse

9 September 2026

Total solar eclipses represent a unique time when both the public and scientists alike are interested in observing the solar corona. Because the shape and magnetic structure of the corona is strongly correlated to the distribution of surface magnetic fields, coronal heating mechanisms, and magnetic energy storage processes, eclipses also... read more

Science nugget: Persistence of the Solar Wind Velocity along Radial, Longitudinal, and Latitudinal Spacecraft Separation

26 August 2026

The solar wind varies as multiple spacecraft probe it from different positions and at different times. Longitudinally, it shows an autocorrelation with a period of 27.27 days (Carrington rotation) when measured around Earth [1]. Latitudinally, it changes depending on the morphology of its source regions, like streamers (slow solar wind [2,3])... read more

Science nugget: Recovering the Hidden Core of Solar Flares in Saturated Extreme-Ultraviolet Images: First Validation with EUI Data

19 August 2026

Extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) observations provide essential information on the thermal structure and evolution of active regions, flares, and eruptive phenomena. Since 2010, the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA; [1]) onboard NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory [2] has produced an unparalleled archive of multiwavelength EUV observations from an... read more

Science nugget: Solar Orbiter SEP Dropout during a Magnetic Cloud with Evidence for Strong Connectivity Gradients

12 August 2026

Impulsive 3He-rich solar energetic particle (SEP) events sometimes show abrupt intensity dropouts, in which particle fluxes decrease simultaneously over a broad energy range and can recover rapidly. Two main explanations have been proposed: changes in magnetic connectivity between neighboring flux tubes with different access to the SEP... read more

How ESA mimics and models the 2026 total solar eclipse

10 August 2026

On 12 August 2026, parts of Europe will experience a total solar eclipse. With the Sun's bright disc covered, its surrounding atmosphere – the solar corona – will become visible to the naked eye. Unfortunately, total solar eclipses are rare and last at most a few minutes, giving scientists little time to study the Sun’s enigmatic... read more

Science nugget: Solar Orbiter Catches External Reconnection Bringing a Filament Eruption to a Halt

5 August 2026

The solar wind varies as multiple spacecraft probe it from different positions and at different times. Longitudinally, it shows an autocorrelation with a period of 27.27 days (Carrington rotation) when measured around Earth.

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Solar Orbiter Plans for the 12th August 2026 Total Solar Eclipse

29 July 2026

On 12 August 2026, a solar eclipse will be visible across parts of Europe and the North Atlantic. The path of totality will cross Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a small area of northeastern Portugal. Other parts of Europe will see a partial solar eclipse.

This page gathers observations from instruments on board Solar Orbiter, and shows... read more

Metis anomaly and rescue

26 June 2026

Space missions are very challenging by nature and have to deal with a lot of restrictions and limitations, before they can exploit the unique scientific opportunities. 

Among the more difficult moments in any mission is the realisation that a command sent to the spacecraft has not produced the expected result, for an... read more