Energetic collisions between magnetic fields produce gusty solar wind.
Parker Solar Probe
Posted inNews
A “Dam” in the Corona May Make the Solar Wind Gain Its Unusual Speeds
A new study supports the idea of a “helicity barrier” influencing the fluctuating stream of interplanetary plasma.
Posted inScience Updates
A New Journey Around (and Around) the Sun
The Solar Orbiter just completed its commissioning phase while en route to the Sun. It has already provided valuable looks at solar campfires and Venus’s magnetic fields, and it promises much more.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Plasma Activity Around Sunspots May Foreshadow Solar Storms
A new study identifies possible precursors to space weather in the regions encircling sunspots.
Posted inNews
First Spacecraft to Touch the Sun Awaiting Launch
The Parker Solar Probe will study the Sun’s corona and its electric and magnetic fields, as well as the mechanisms that drive the solar wind, all from behind an advanced protective heat shield.
Posted inNews
Solar Probe Will Approach Sun Closer Than Any Prior Spacecraft
Technological improvements, including an advanced thermal protection system and innovative solar arrays, have helped to get this mission off the drawing board.