NASA sun mission spots stunning solar eclipse in space By Elizabeth Howell published 29 June 22 A sungazing spacecraft captured the moon passing in front of the face of the sun Wednesday (June 29).
NASA's solar forecast is turning out to be wrong. This team's model is still on track. By Tereza Pultarova published 29 June 22 The sun is acting out, and solar weather forecasters are baffled. But one scientist might know what's going on.
LightSail 2 celebrates 3rd space birthday as end of mission approaches By Elizabeth Howell published 25 June 22 LightSail 2 is now marking three years of spaceflight, but is unlikely to celebrate a fourth anniversary.
Wild solar weather is causing satellites to plummet from orbit. It's only going to get worse. By Tereza Pultarova published 23 June 22 Some low-Earth-orbit satellites are falling to Earth 10 times faster since the sun started acting out last year.
A giant sunspot the size of 3 Earths is facing us right now By Elizabeth Howell published 22 June 22 A sunspot nearly triple the size of Earth is within firing range of our planet and may send out medium-class flares in the near future.
A long solar flare just erupted from the sun and the video is stunning By Mike Wall published 13 June 22 The sun flexed its considerable magnetic muscles today (June 13), and two solar spacecraft captured the show on video.
Venus crossed the sun's face 10 years ago. Most people alive will never see the sight again. By Tom Kerss published 5 June 22 On the 10th anniversary of the last transit of Venus, find out what makes these events so special and what else to look out for during the long wait for the next one.
NASA's sun-grazing Parker Solar Probe will zip through its 12th stellar closeup today By Elizabeth Howell published 1 June 22 NASA's sun-grazing spacecraft will make its 12th close flyby of our star on Wednesday (June 1), marking the halfway point of the mission.
First 'Manhattanhenge' of 2022 will beam sunset between NYC buildings on Memorial Day weekend By Elizabeth Howell published 29 May 22 People in New York can catch the gorgeous "Manhattanhenge" this Memorial Day weekend on May 29 and 30.
Sunspots: What are they, and why do they occur? By Daisy Dobrijevic published 27 May 22 Reference Sunspots are cooler, planet-size regions of strong magnetic fields on the surface of the sun. Explore sunspots in more detail with our comprehensive guide.
Coronal mass ejections: What are they and how do they form? By Daisy Dobrijevic published 26 May 22 Reference Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are colossal expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the sun's corona. Explore CMEs in more detail here in our guide.
Sun busts out trio of moderate solar flares that might herald more activity By Elizabeth Howell published 19 May 22 A trio of moderate flares blasted off from the sun on Thursday, and there might be more in store.
Sun's mysterious pole and a 'solar hedgehog' revealed in closest-ever images of the sun By Tereza Pultarova published 18 May 22 A new record-breaking set of images of the sun captured by the Solar Orbiter probe during its close pass of the star in March reveals a plethora of never-before-seen details.
Solar flares: What are they and how do they affect Earth? By Daisy Dobrijevic published 17 May 22 Reference There are five different types of solar flares. Discover what solar flares are, what causes them and the effects they have on Earth in our solar flare guide.
The moon photobombs a sunset in this otherworldly solar eclipse image By Ailsa Harvey published 15 May 22 A partial solar eclipse coincided with sunset in April 2022. This image tracks the movements of the sun and eclipse stages.
A 'mixed up' sunspot just fired off a huge solar flare By Elizabeth Howell published 10 May 22 Scientists are keeping an eye on a sunspot that fired off an X-class flare while "having an identity crisis," according to SpaceWeather.com.
Parker Solar Probe: First spacecraft to 'touch' the sun By Daisy Dobrijevic published 6 May 22 Reference NASA's Parker Solar Probe is on a mission to study the sun closer than ever before. Learn more about the fastest spacecraft to date in our solar probe guide.
The 1st solar eclipse of 2022 is stunning in these satellite views By Elizabeth Howell published 5 May 22 We also got a glimpse from a solar telescope in Chile.
Pew! Pew! Sun blasts two moderate solar flares in time for Star Wars Day By Elizabeth Howell published 4 May 22 While our sun merrily blasted two moderate-size solar flares in time for Star Wars Day, auroras are likely not our destiny yet.
Sun fires off huge solar flare from new sunspot coming into view By Elizabeth Howell published 3 May 22 The active sun fired off a powerful X-class flare Tuesday (May 3), but likely not in the direction of Earth.