NASA's solar probe has captured for the first time how plasma falls back onto the Sun.

According to ТСН: The Parker Solar Probe has captured details of the process for the first time, where a portion of magnetic material returns to the Sun after a powerful ejection. This new data was obtained during the record approach to the spacecraft in December 2024.

According to NASA, not all plasma and magnetic fields leave the Sun during a coronal mass ejection. Some of the material forms what are called 'tidal streams' - clumps of substance that return to the solar atmosphere and change its structure. Previously, such phenomena have only been observed from a distance, but the Parker Solar Probe was able to capture them from inside the solar corona.

Approach to the Sun and new observations

On December 24, 2024, the probe flew at a distance of about 3.8 million miles from the Sun's surface. Thanks to its WISPR camera, the moment was recorded when after a coronal mass ejection, the elongated streams of plasma began to fall back. This allowed scientists to accurately measure the speed and size of these streams for the first time.

The researchers explain that during coronal mass ejection explosions, magnetic lines tear and reorganize - this process is called magnetic reconnection. Some of the newly formed magnetic loops are directed into space, while another part reconnects to the Sun. This 'recirculation' can change the magnetic landscape of the star and influence the direction of future solar ejections.

The importance of observations for Earth

According to NASA experts, even a small change in the trajectory of a coronal ejection is significant: it can determine whether a solar storm will reach Earth, Mars, or pass by. This directly relates to the safety of satellites, GPS navigation, energy systems, and future manned missions.

The results obtained will help improve space weather models and more accurately predict its impact on Earth and other planets. NASA notes that with further flybys of the Parker Solar Probe, scientists will be able to better understand how the Sun changes, especially during the transition from solar maximum to minimum.

It is also important to note that NASA lost contact with one of its three satellites in Mars orbit - the MAVEN spacecraft, which disappeared behind the planet. Although such a loss of signal is expected, the DSN network failed to re-establish contact, so operational teams are investigating an anomaly that could threaten scientific research.

Thus, the research of the Parker Solar Probe opens new horizons for solar science and its impact on the surrounding cosmos. Observing such phenomena will enhance the accuracy of space weather forecasts, which, in turn, will help to better prepare for potential hazards associated with solar activity.