ESA’s Proba-3 probe detects solar winds three times faster than predicted

Agência Espacial Europeia’s Proba-3 mission is revealing never-before-seen behavior in Sol’s atmosphere through continuous artificial eclipses. Pesquisadores found that the slow solar wind moves three to four times faster than theories predicted, with speeds between 250 and 500 kilometers per second. The results, published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters, challenge scientific models established for decades.

Dois satellites create perfect shadow in space

Proba-3 works with an unprecedented system of two spacecraft flying in formation. Ocultador blocks the intense light of Sol, while Coronógrafo captures the solar corona, the tenuous outer atmosphere normally invisible. The two devices maintain a separation of just 150 meters with submillimeter precision.

Operando in highly elliptical orbit, the system reaches apogee above 60 thousand kilometers from Terra. Nessa position, performs observations without atmospheric distortion, a privilege that terrestrial instruments have never had. Across 57 artificial eclipses, Proba-3 has accumulated more than 250 hours of high-resolution data.

Vento solar belies scientific expectations

Measurements of Proba-3 revealed abnormally high velocities in the inner corona of Sol. Researcher Andrei Zhukov, of Observatório Real and Bélgica, reported that slow bursts of solar wind reach between 250 and 500 kilometers per second. Teóricos expected only 100 kilometers per second.

Essa discrepancy indicates more dynamic processes near the solar surface than previously imagined. Scientists are now investigating whether phenomena such as magnetic reconnection, rupture and reconnection of magnetic field lines accelerate charged particles more intensely.

Resultados preliminaries point out:

• Velocidades of slow solar wind 3 to 4 times higher than predicted
• Observação direct to the origin of space weather in unprecedented resolution
• Aceleração of particles by magnetic processes not fully understood
• Dados continuous rather than fragmented observations of natural eclipses

Coroa solar remains almost as before mystery

The solar corona represents one of the most pertinent enigmas in modern astrophysics. Sua temperature reaches millions of degrees, while the visible surface of Sol barely reaches 6 thousand degrees. Esse thermal paradox has intrigued scientists for decades.

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The Proba-3 offers access to the inner crown, a region inaccessible with previous clarity. The ASPIICS coronagraph can generate images just 1.1 solar radii from the solar surface. Pesquisadores now take a closer look at how magnetic reconnection injects energy into solar plasma, simultaneously explaining particle heating and acceleration.

Ejeções Solar Gains New Predictive Power

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) represent massive explosions of material shooting out of Sol into space. Esses events disrupt satellites, communications, and terrestrial electrical grids without warning. Proba-3 now observes the early stages of CME formation in unprecedented detail.

Estruturas like bright filaments and rays trace the paths by which the solar wind escapes Sol. Essas continued observations allow researchers to map how magnetic fields and plasma flows interact during explosive events. Melhorias in prediction models can protect global critical infrastructure.

Impacto straight into modern technology

Compreender space weather is not just an academic issue. Satélites GPS, satellite communications systems and electrical grids are vulnerable to solar activity. Dados captured by Proba-3 in the low solar corona improves predictive models used to warn about geomagnetic storms.

Diferente from previous missions such as SOHO, GOES-19 and Aditya-L1, Proba-3 extends observations to distances never before reached by Sol. Esse’s unique viewpoint connects small-scale processes in the corona with large-scale effects throughout the solar system.

The nominal mission extends beyond 2026. Conforme More data is analyzed, new findings should reshape understanding of solar influence in space and on Terra.