18 ASTRONOMY • AUGUST 2020
Solar Orbiter will soon explore what shapes
and powers the solar wind. BY BEN EVANS
A fresh look at our
From within the orbit of Mercury, Solar Orbiter
will study our Sun, turning its suite of instruments
on our home star to offer a new perspective that
includes observing the Sun’s poles. This artist’s
illustration shows how the spacecraft might
appear as it faces the Sun while collecting data
from its science orbit. ESA/ATG MEDIALAB