The European Space Agency has published unique images taken by the Solar Orbiter probe. They show the Sun’s south pole.
Why are the Sun’s poles so hard to see?
The Sun’s poles are of particular interest to researchers. The processes occurring there likely play a decisive role in its activity cycles.
The problem is that they are invisible to researchers. Virtually all probes studying the Sun are located in the plane of the ecliptic. This is the plane in which the planets orbit around the Sun. Although it is slightly tilted relative to the Sun’s equator, the 7° angle of inclination is not enough to obtain a clear image of our star’s poles. Telescopes on Earth, of course, have the same limited perspective.
Until recently, the only exception to this rule was Ulysses, a joint mission between ESA and NASA, which flew over the Sun’s poles several times between 1990 and 2009. However, there were no cameras on board the spacecraft, so it was unable to observe them.
The situation has finally changed thanks to the Solar Orbiter probe. In February, it performed a gravitation maneuver that increased the inclination of its orbit to 17°. This gave the spacecraft a unique opportunity to observe the polar regions of the Sun, which are not visible from Earth.
A view of the Sun’s south pole
The images published by ESA were taken on March 16 and 17, 2025. They show the surface of its south pole at different wavelengths, as well as the corona — the upper, most rarefied and hottest layer of the atmosphere. Analysis of these images may help scientists understand how the Sun manages to eject solar wind particles into space.
Solar Orbiter also collected data on the magnetic field at the Sun’s south pole. Overall, it is much more complex than the Earth’s magnetic field. A multitude of small, variable, and highly complex magnetic structures arising in connection with sunspots or at the poles form the large-scale global magnetic field of the Sun. Throughout most of the solar cycle, it resembles a bar magnet, with the Sun’s geographic poles roughly corresponding to its magnetic poles.
Researchers expect the magnetic field at the poles to change significantly during the solar cycle. While one magnetic polarity is likely to prevail during the phase of minimum activity, the magnetic field should be significantly more complex during the phase of maximum activity. This is confirmed by observations from the Solar Orbiter. It discovered a complex mixture of small areas with different polarities at its south pole.
Now scientists look forward to tracking the restructuring of the polar magnetic field in the coming months and years. According to current forecasts, solar activity will decrease slightly from its current high level.
By the end of 2026, Solar Orbiter will be able to observe the north and south poles of the Sun three more times at an angle of 17°. A new flyby of Venus on December 24, 2026, will tilt the probe’s orbit even further to an angle of 23°, providing an even better view of the poles.
According to ESA
