Solar Magnetic Poles: First Shots from Beyond the Equator ⚡ экспресс
Direct observations of the solar poles have long been limited to the view from the ecliptic plane. In spring 2025, the Solar Orbiter mission, using the high-resolution telescope of the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (SO/PHI-HRT), for the first time detected the magnetic field of the poles from heliographic latitudes of 14.9–16.7°. In two campaigns about a month apart, the south and north poles were studied. The magnetic flux and its density, measured as a function of latitude, show different latitudinal distributions of the net flux for the two polar caps. A dependence of the measured fluxes on the observation angle was found. These results highlight the importance of direct high-resolution measurements of the polar field and lay the groundwork for planned high-latitude observations with SO/PHI-HRT in the coming years.
The Sun is not just a ball — it's a magnetic mansion. Its invisible force lines, like electrical wiring, thread through space and control space weather. But until now, we've only seen this wiring from the landing — the plane of Earth's orbit. The attic and basement, the magnetic poles, remained a mystery.
In 2025, the Solar Orbiter probe, like an electrician with a multimeter, sneaked into these invisible floors. Its instrument split the light into colorful bands to reveal magnetic patterns. And here's the surprise: the north and south poles turned out to have different architectures. Their magnetic flows aren't just dissimilar — they change out of sync: when one gains strength, the other weakens, and this dance accelerates month by month.
This attic find is the key to the 11-year rhythm of solar pole flips. By understanding how the wiring 'flickers' above and below, we can more precisely calculate when a magnetic storm will strike Earth's power grids.
🎯 Every 11 years, the Sun's magnetic poles swap places, like a house where the attic and basement change roles. The last time this happened was in 2013.