Eugene Parker – Pioneering Astrophysicist Who Discovered Solar Wind – Dies at 94
Prof. Emeritus Eugene N. Parker, a pioneering astrophysicist whose contributions to solar physics were so enormous that NASA named its Parker Solar Probe mission after…
Heliophysics News
Heliophysics is the scientific study of the Sun and its interactions with the Solar System, encompassing the physics of the Sun’s atmosphere, its emissions, and the way these influence planetary atmospheres and space weather. This field combines aspects of astrophysics, atmospheric science, and magnetospheric physics to understand the dynamics of the Sun and its effects on the space environment of Earth and other celestial bodies. Researchers in heliophysics study phenomena such as solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar winds, and magnetic fields to predict their impact on space weather, which can affect satellite operations, astronaut safety, and Earth’s power grids and communications networks. As a crucial part of space exploration and understanding, heliophysics aims to mitigate these impacts while also delving into fundamental questions about the Sun’s behavior and its evolutionary changes.
NASA Mourns Passing of Visionary Heliophysicist Eugene Parker – Namesake of Parker Solar Probe
Dr. Eugene N. Parker, visionary of heliophysics and namesake of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, has passed away. He was 94. As a young professor at…
UVSC Pathfinding Experiment To Study Origins of Solar Energetic Particles – Sun’s Most Dangerous Form of Radiation
A joint NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory experiment dedicated to studying the origins of solar energetic particles — the Sun’s most dangerous form of radiation —…
NASA Scientists Observe Electric Blue Clouds in the Mesosphere
On the cusp of our atmosphere live a thin group of seasonal electric blue clouds. Forming 50 miles (80 kilometers) above the poles in summer,…
NASA Heliophysics Research Details Substorm Activity Around Earth
Researchers have been studying the near-Earth environment for the better part of a century, but many mysteries — like where the energetic particles that pervade…
SOHO Reveals Evidence of Seismic G-Mode Waves in Our Sun
Using data from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, astronomers have detected a type of wave called g-modes on the Sun. After four decades…
Safety Tips for Viewing the August Solar Eclipse
NASA has released information and safety tips for viewing the upcoming August 21st solar eclipse. More than 300 million people in the United States potentially…
CLASP Provides First-Ever Polarization Measurements of UV Light from Sun’s Outer Atmosphere
Using data from the the high-precision science instrument CLASP (Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter), scientists reveal the first-ever polarization measurements of ultraviolet light emitted from the sun’s…
Scientists Review Space Weather Events Linked to Human Activity
Scientists review the fundamental physical process behind space weather events that are linked to human activity and discusses the observations of their impacts. Our Cold…
Van Allen Probes Reveal Man-Made Barrier Shrouding Earth
A newly published study details the anthropogenic effects on the space environment, which started in the late 19th century and reached their peak in the…
New IBEX Observations Determine the Strength of the Magnetic Field Outside the Heliosphere
A newly published study uses IBEX data and simulations of the interstellar boundary to better describe space in our galactic neighborhood. Immediately after its 2008…
NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Celebrates 20 Years of Science
ESA and NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory celebrate twenty years of space-based science. After 20 years in space, ESA and NASA’s Solar and Heliospheric Observatory,…
NASA’s Voyager 1 Continues to Help Solve the Interstellar Medium Mystery
Data from NASA’s Voyager 1 Spacecraft show that the direction of the magnetic field has been slowly turning ever since the spacecraft crossed into interstellar…
NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer Provides New Details on Solar System Boundary
New research from NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission provides the most definitive analyses, theories and results about local interstellar space to date. The new…
Venus Transit Reveals Clues about the Venusian Atmosphere
Astronomers used the Venus transit to make measurements of how the Venusian atmosphere absorbs different kinds of light, revealing clues to what elements are layered…
Solution to the Coronal Heating Mystery Presented at 2015 TESS Meeting
Researchers detail why the sun’s atmosphere is so much hotter than its surface, revealing that the heating mechanism depends on regular, but intermittent explosive bursts…
New Research Reveals Two Solar Wind Jets in the Heliosphere
New research shows that the heliosphere is dominated by two giant jets of material shooting backwards over the north and south poles of the sun,…
20 Years of Science Discoveries From NASA’s Wind Spacecraft
After 20 years, NASA’s Wind spacecraft is still going strong and helping scientists understand the forces that buffet near-Earth space. The end of 2014 marks…