On March 26, 2022, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft made the first of its close perihelion passages. The spacecraft flew closer to the Sun than the inner planet Mercury, achieving its closest approach at just 32% of the Earth’s distance from our star. Being that close to the Sun, the images, movies and data returned were spectacular. They show powerful flares, breathtaking views across the solar poles, and a curious solar ‘hedgehog’ —...
