Sun Stories

Scientists Share Early Results from NASA’s Solar Eclipse Experiments 

5 min read

On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse swept across North America, from the western shores of Mexico, through the United States, and into northeastern Canada. For the eclipse, NASA helped fund numerous research projects and called upon citizen scientists…

Article4 days ago
The total solar eclipse. Against a black background, there is a faint white glow surrounding a black circle. On the bottom right of this circle is a bright glowing circle overlapping.

Annual Science Conference to Highlight NASA Research

3 min read

NASA researchers will present findings on Earth science, planetary science, and heliophysics at the upcoming American Geophysical Union (AGU) 2024 annual meeting in Washington, DC, beginning on Monday, Dec. 9. New NASA science results will be presented regarding the 2024…

Article1 week ago
In this illustration, an exploding star powers jets of material. The star is shown as an almost flower-like shape. The purple �petals� represent clouds of material created in the explosion. The bluish-white and yellow center shows where the newly formed black hole begins driving the jets. The core of the jet pointed toward us is whitish and the broader regions are magenta. In the distance, on the far side of the star, you can see the opposite side of the jet disappearing into space.

5 Surprising NASA Heliophysics Discoveries Not Related to the Sun

5 min read

With NASA’s fleet of heliophysics spacecraft, scientists monitor our Sun and investigate its influences throughout the solar system. However, the fleet’s constant watch and often-unique perspectives sometimes create opportunities to make discoveries that no one expected, helping us to solve…

Article3 weeks ago
Against the outline of the southeastern United States, a circular shape moves from the center of the view (around Tennessee) to the southeast toward Florida. Inside the circular shape are bands of blues, yellows, and reds that change as the circle moves.

Hurricane Helene’s Gravity Waves Revealed by NASA’s AWE

2 min read

On Sept. 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene slammed into the Gulf Coast of Florida, inducing storm surges and widespread impacts on communities in its path. At the same time, NASA’s Atmospheric Waves Experiment, or AWE, recorded enormous swells in the atmosphere…

Article1 month ago
An animated gif showing a side-by-side comparison reveals Venus surface images. The left, labeled "WISPR," is captured via the Parker Solar Probe, showcasing a blurry grayscale view. The right, labeled "RADAR," presents a vibrant surface map in green, blue, and reddish hues using visible light imaging.

Final Venus Flyby for NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Queues Closest Sun Pass

4 min read

On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe will complete its final Venus gravity assist maneuver, passing within 233 miles (376 km) of Venus’ surface. The flyby will adjust Parker’s trajectory into its final orbital configuration, bringing the spacecraft…

Article1 month ago
An artist's concept of the Wind spacecraft shows the spacecraft on the left outside Earth's magnetosphere, shown as a blue bubble extending around Earth.

30 Years On, NASA’s Wind Is a Windfall for Studying our Neighborhood in Space

5 min read

Picture it: 1994. The first World Wide Web conference took place in Geneva, the first Chunnel train traveled under the English Channel, and just three years after the end of the Cold War, the first Russian instrument on a U.S.…

Article1 month ago
Two people wearing all white suits that cover their entire body and hair, and masks, stand by a cylindrical instrument.

NASA to Launch Innovative Solar Coronagraph to Space Station

5 min read

Editor’s Note: The CODEX instrument launched aboard NASA’s SpaceX 31st commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station at 9:29 p.m. EST on Nov. 4, 2024. On Nov. 11, robotics flight controllers in Houston successfully installed the instrument at Express…

Article1 month ago
On the left, the Sun shown in gold. It's fairly uniform. On the right, the Sun in gold has several bright active regions.

NASA, NOAA: Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle

6 min read

In a teleconference with reporters on Tuesday, representatives from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the international Solar Cycle Prediction Panel announced that the Sun has reached its solar maximum period, which could continue for the next…

Article2 months ago
A long, white, overexposed comet tail stretches from the upper left to the lower right against a circular blue background scattered with stars. At the center is a blank blue disk with a white circle representing the Sun. A time stamp at the bottom reads 2024/10/10 18:06.

ESA/NASA’s SOHO Spies Bright Comet Making Debut in Evening Sky

2 min read

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) has captured images of the second-brightest comet to ever pass through its field of view, comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.

Article2 months ago
A model of NASA’s Voyager spacecraft

Voyager 1 Team Accomplishes Tricky Thruster Swap

5 min read

The spacecraft uses its thrusters to stay pointed at Earth, but after 47 years in space some of the fuel tubes have become clogged. Engineers working on NASA’s Voyager 1 probe have successfully mitigated an issue with the spacecraft’s thrusters,…

Article3 months ago