In a bid to uncover the mysteries of solar flares, a new space probe is scheduled to be developed in a joint project involving such organizations as the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Parties in Europe and the United States will also be involved in the development, which is scheduled to start in fiscal 2021. The new solar probe is to be Japan's fourth, following the "Hinode" launched in 2006.
According to NAOJ, JAXA and other organizations, the new probe will be equipped with a high-performance telescope that will be used to observe the atmosphere of the sun.
Solar flares release high-energy radiation, gas and other substances. When a flare is particularly large, these substances may reach the Earth, causing satellites to malfunction and blackouts to occur. Flares are believed to be caused by a change in the magnetic properties near [and on] the sun, but details are unknown.
To discover when and where the precursors to solar flares occur, a telescope with a resolution seven times higher than that of Hinode will be installed to observe the flow of the atmosphere. The new probe will be able to observe a wide area all at once from as much as 300,000 kilometers above the sun.
Strong activity is expected to be seen from the sun in the mid-2020s. The new probe is scheduled to be launched around 2026.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
