NASA's PUNCH mission sets sights on the Sun's outer realm
NASA has launched the new PUNCH mission, which aims to provide the first images of the Sun's outer atmosphere and the surrounding solar system.
NASA has successfully launched the PUNCH mission, designed to study the Sun's outer atmosphere and its impact on space. The four satellites that make up this mission have already begun capturing the first images to examine the effect of the star's corona on space weather.
A new look at the Sun's corona
The PUNCH mission, or Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere, has completed the satellite deployment phase, and in mid-April, the instruments were activated to begin recording the first data. These images show how the Sun's corona extends and influences the solar system, which is crucial for understanding space weather.
According to SciTech Daily, during the deployment phase, scientists calibrate the instruments to filter out 99% of sunlight, allowing them to track delicate streams of solar matter. This facilitates a better understanding of how the Sun's corona forms and evolves solar winds, which can affect Earth.
Three-dimensional observations
PUNCH will provide global, three-dimensional data concerning the inner solar system and the Sun's corona. Thanks to this mission, it will be possible to study how cosmic phenomena, such as coronal mass ejections, form and evolve. These phenomena can pose a threat to satellites and astronauts.
The PUNCH mission is conducted by the Southwest Research Institute based in San Antonio, and satellite operations take place in Boulder, Colorado. The project is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
