Illustrative image, released by the European Space Agency, showing the Solar probe orbiting in space.
-
European Space Agency / AFP
This is the first of nine overflights of Venus that Solar Orbiter will perform.
The probe developed by ESA and Nasa recently passed just 7,500 km from the highest clouds on the planet,
Clubic
reported on
Wednesday.
This first survey made it possible to collect data intended to study the environment of Venus.
Astronomers announced this maneuver on December 10 at a press conference on Solar Orbiter, launched last February to study solar winds, the magnetic field and solar flares.
🔜 We're getting ready for our first flyby of #Venus on 27 Dec!
Details #ICYMI 👉https: //t.co/Br48JIWAQE#WeAreAllSolarOrbiters pic.twitter.com/YYu9Gg1IDw
- ESA's Solar Orbiter (@ESASolarOrbiter) December 23, 2020
No image, but usable data
“Solar Orbiter is of course a mission which is not designed specifically for the observation of Venus,” recalled Daniel Müller, scientist at ESA.
“We're always looking for bonus opportunities to do science, so yes, we'll be making observations when we get close to Venus.
"
Some of its tools being turned 24 hours a day towards the Sun, Solar Orbiter was therefore unable to photograph Venus.
But his magnetometer and other instruments collected a lot of data.
Ultimately, scientists hope to learn more about the impact of solar winds on this planet, which lacks a protective magnetic field like Earth.
This overview could also inform researchers about the impact of Venus on the probe, knowing that it is the hottest planet in our solar system, says
Clubic
.
While waiting for the results, Solar Orbiter continues to study the Sun, as it will still do for seven to ten years.
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