Solar Orbiter, a space mission launched in 2020 by the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with NASA, has captured the first-ever images of the Sun’s south pole. This major achievement happened in March 2025, after the spacecraft performed a gravity assist maneuver using Venus to tilt its orbit about 17 degrees below the Sun’s equator. This new angle allowed Solar Orbiter to observe regions of the Sun that have never been seen directly before.
Notably, three key instruments on board – which include PHI (Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager), EUI (Extreme Ultraviolet Imager), and SPICE (Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment) – worked together to capture the images. These instruments collected different types of data, including visible light, ultraviolet radiation, and information on the movement and composition of solar material. Using this data, scientists could study both the surface and outer atmosphere of the Sun from a new perspective.
One of the most important discoveries from these new images is the pattern of magnetic activity at the Sun’s south pole. The PHI instrument revealed a mixture of magnetic polarities, meaning both north and south magnetic fields were found in the same region. This shows that the Sun is currently undergoing a magnetic reversal, which happens roughly every 11 years as part of its solar cycle. This reversal is a key part of how the Sun produces solar flares and sunspots, and it has major effects on space weather that can impact Earth.
The SPICE instrument added more information by measuring how elements like carbon and oxygen move in the Sun’s outer layers. It used a technique called Doppler spectroscopy to track how fast these particles move away from the Sun, helping scientists understand how solar wind forms and escapes into space.
These first polar images are just the beginning. Scientists expect to receive even more detailed data from this ‘pole-to-pole’ mission by October 2025. In the years ahead, Solar Orbiter will continue to change its orbit to gain better views of both poles. By 2029, it is expected to reach an angle of about 33 degrees above the Sun’s equator, allowing for even clearer observations of the solar poles.
“Today we reveal humankind’s first-ever views of the Sun’s pole. The Sun is our nearest star, giver of life and potential disruptor of modern space and ground power systems, so it is imperative that we understand how it works and learn to predict its behaviour. These new unique views from our Solar Orbiter mission are the beginning of a new era of solar science,” Prof. Carole Mundell (Director of Science at ESA) said in his statement.
Notably, at a cost of around $1.3 billion, the mission is one of ESA’s most expensive to date. Solar Orbiter is expected to operate until around 2030.
