MAQ Magazine n. 16 / January 2020
At the fifth point the probe measured several events never seen before the emission of energetic particles, small puffs of radiation whose traces are lost before they reach the Earth or one of the satellites of observation of the Sun placed nearby.
The knowledge of these small energetic particle eruptions is important because they can lead to so-called space weather conditions near the Earth that are potentially harmful to astronauts and satellites in orbit.
Data from the WISPR instruments also provided unprecedented detail on structures in the corona and solar wind — including coronal mass ejections, billion-ton clouds of solar material that the Sun sends hurtling out into the solar system. CMEs can trigger a range of effects on Earth and other worlds, from sparking auroras to inducing electric currents that can damage power grids and pipelines. WISPR's unique perspective, looking alongside such events as they travel away from the Sun, has already shed new light on the range of events our star can unleash.