Opinion Sun’s South Pole captured on camera: A breakthrough in science, hinged on a tweaked angle

Perspective is everything. It has now been reaffirmed by the Solar Orbiter — a Sun-observing probe launched jointly by the European Space Agency and NASA in 2020. On Wednesday, the spacecraft released images of the Sun’s South Pole, marking a scientific breakthrough in space. Made possible by a tilt in the orbit of the probe, these are first images of the poles from outside the ecliptic plane. The new angle also allowed the Orbiter to map magnetic activity at the Sun’s pole — a groundbreaking reveal for the future of solar research.

Carole Mundell, the ESA’s director of science, has said, “These new unique views… are the beginning of a new era of solar science.” All spacecraft, probes and planets orbit the Sun within a flat disc — images of the Sun so far have also been from this plane. By tilting its orbit, the ESA-NASA probe captured new angles — both to study and gaze at. The only other craft to have flown over the Sun’s poles was NASA’s Ulysses probe in 1990. But it did not carry a camera. Given that magnetic activity determines a great deal about the environment and character of the Sun, a peek at it opens up new horizons. Most importantly, with the 17-degree tilt expected to last until December 2026, and further tilts in the offing, the best images are yet to come.

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With the rapid strides space exploration has made in recent years, many pieces are falling into place, and the puzzle of the universe is clearer today than ever before. That the most recent achievement has been made possible due to a simple shift in perspective is revealing about the nature of science — and humanity. To unveil and capture such significant details of a celestial object through such a tiny manoeuvre offers a lesson. Sometimes, all you need is a change of angle.