NASA spacecraft flying through "one of the most powerful" sun explosions

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19-09-2023, 22:12

INA - SOURCES

A NASA solar probe flew through a powerful eruption from the sun, helping scientists prove a decades-old theory, the agency announced this week. The fortified spacecraft not only survived the journey but also captured video of the rare event.

The Parker Solar Probe flew through the coronal mass ejection on Sept. 5, 2022, NASA said in a news release. Video taken by cameras on the probe shows it rushing through the eruption.

NASA said the probe survived its flight "through one of the most powerful coronal mass ejections (CMEs) ever recorded – not only an impressive feat of engineering but a huge boon for the scientific community."

Coronal mass ejections are eruptions of plasma and in the sun's outer atmosphere. They can cause space weather that can put satellites at risk and disrupt communications and navigation systems. Powerful CMEs can even knock out power grids on our planet, NASA said.