Earth at Perihelion: A close encounter with our star ☀️ As we welcome the new year, Earth is making its closest approach to the Sun—a phenomenon known as perihelion, which will occur on 4 January 2025 at 14:28 CET. To celebrate this cosmic moment, we’re diving into the heart of our Solar System with fascinating data from our Solar Orbiter mission! This awe-inspiring video combines: - Ultraviolet images of the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona, glowing yellow) captured by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager. - Solar flare activity (blue circles) recorded by the Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX), revealing bursts of X-rays from energetic flares. A mesmerising sonification of the Sun’s activity, where metallic clinks represent solar flares, and a hum reflects Solar Orbiter’s changing distance from our star. Did you know? Solar Orbiter travels on an elliptical orbit, making a close approach to the Sun every six months. As the Sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cy...