The Solar Orbiter, launched in 2021, recently captured groundbreaking images of the sun's pole after a detour to Venus altered its orbit. This unique perspective allowed the spacecraft to photograph the sun's southern pole for the first time in human history. Typically, all planets and spacecraft orbit the sun along its equator, but the Venus flyby shifted the Solar Orbiter's view to 15 degrees below the equator, providing a clear image of the star's pole.

The images were taken on March 16 and 17 from a 15-degree angle below the equator, with the probe reaching a maximum angle of 17 degrees since then. The Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI) captured the sun's visible light and magnetic field, the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) photographed the sun in ultraviolet light, and the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument revealed different layers of the sun's atmosphere.

The Solar Orbiter observed a chaotic magnetic field at the sun's southern pole, with both north and south polarity magnetic fields present. This phenomenon occurs during the solar maximum, a phase in the sun's 11-year cycle when its magnetic field flips. The ESA noted that the magnetic field will gradually stabilize over the next five to six years, leading to a more orderly magnetic field during the solar minimum.

Scientists utilized the SPICE instrument to measure Doppler velocities of solar material, creating a velocity map that illustrates how solar material moves within specific layers of the sun. These measurements provide insights into how the sun releases particles into space as solar winds, a key focus of the Solar Orbiter's mission.