Before a solar storm sweeps through space and disrupts technology on Earth, it begins with an explosive process on the Sun called magnetic reconnection. New observations from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe have now revealed fresh details about how these magnetic events accelerate particles to dangerous speeds.
During a 2022 solar flyby, the Parker Solar Probe passed between the Sun and a magnetic reconnection site in the solar wind—the constant flow of charged particles and magnetic fields streaming outward from the Sun. Because storm‑generating reconnection typically occurs in the Sun’s difficult‑to‑reach atmosphere, catching an event in the solar wind gives scientists a rare chance to directly measure the particles being accelerated.
These new findings will help scientists refine theoretical models of magnetic reconnection and deepen our understanding of how solar storms are powered.
