Spacecraft films unprecedented view of sun shooting particles into space

Scientists are still unraveling the mysteries behind our torrid star.

The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter — which makes a relatively close approach to the sun every six months — has captured an unparalleled view of the solar wind, a stream of charged particles the sun constantly streams into space. The solar wind has great implications for how solar storms impact Earth and our technologies, so researchers seek to understand how it forms and accelerates to speeds exceeding 1 million miles per hour.