NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission has released its first-ever images of colossal solar eruptions, known as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). These dynamic outbursts from the Sun's outer atmosphere were unveiled during the 246th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, held on June 11 in Anchorage, Alaska.
PUNCH’s primary goal is to bridge the gap between the Sun’s corona and the solar wind, providing crucial insight into space weather events that can disrupt satellites, power grids, and communications on Earth. The newly released images offer an unprecedented view of how CMEs evolve from the solar surface into the vastness of space.
“These first-light images mark a major step forward in understanding the origins of space weather,” said mission scientists. “They reveal how the solar atmosphere transitions into the solar wind, which affects our entire solar system.”
Launched to study the Sun’s outer layers, the PUNCH mission consists of four suitcase-sized satellites working together to capture polarized light emitted by solar particles. The result is a full, continuous view of solar activity beyond the Sun’s edge — a perspective never seen before with this level of detail and clarity.
These observations are not only visually striking but are expected to enhance forecasting models that protect Earth-based and orbital technologies.
🔗 Source: NASA Science – PUNCH Blog (June 10, 2025)
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