NASA and the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter spacecraft has captured the highest resolution images of the Sun’s surface ever taken.

On March 22, 2023, when the spacecraft was 45 million miles from the Sun, it used its PHI and EUI instruments to capture detailed images of the photosphere, magnetic field, and corona.

The images reveal granular patterns on the Sun’s surface, sunspots, and the movement of plasma.

They also provide magnetic maps, showcasing areas of intense activity that inhibit energy flow, Newsweek has reported.

These images offer unprecedented insight into the Sun’s dynamic nature, though NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which passed within 4.51 million miles of the Sun, holds the record for the closest approach.

Written by B.C. Begley