ESA's Solar Orbiter Flyby Near Earth's Surface Will Be Visible Tonight, How to Watch

Europe's spacecraft known as the Solar Orbiter recently passed by the skies over the planet last November 26. The spacecraft hovered just kilometers above the surface in the United States and western regions of Africa. The flyby was so near that it could be seen with the standard optical devices such as binoculars and moderate-range telescopes. The spacecraft led by the European Space Agency (ESA) is part of its ongoing project that aims to understand the life-giving star - the sun.

Europe's Solar Orbiter

The Solar Orbiter was estimated to have a distance of 460 kilometers or over 280 miles above the planet's surface. Astronomy experts and space enterprises consider the part of the low orbit where the spacecraft will hover as the most polluted area. The concentration of unwanted materials on the specified part was induced by space junks from old satellites and other defunct space materials.

ESA's Solar Orbiter intends to fly close to the sun with specific calculations to help the vehicle maneuver towards its direction. According to a report by Space, the distance was chosen by the experts to have the spacecraft use the natural magnetic force of the planet and propel back into the deep space while being projected to the nearest point from the sun. Africa will be the first to observe the flyby on the sky at around 11:30 PM EST on November 27.

How to Observe the Solar Orbiter Before It Goes to the First-Ever Nearest Point From the Sun

After the spacecraft hovers above the giant continent, it will be observed in the Canary Islands and some regions of the Atlantic Ocean. From there, the Solar Orbiter will ascend farther from Earth's surface and into the void of space. According to a report by the manufacturer of space telescopes known as Unistellar, the highest visibility of the probe from Earth will be recognizable in the southern regions of the United States starting at 3 AM EST on the same date.

The update from the space telescope enterprise said that amateurs and enthusiasts could utilize their standard optical devices to observe the flyby of the Solar Orbiter to monitor its location, the brightness it reflects, and the status of the spacecraft itself. But although it is possible to see the spacecraft track through standard instruments, experts from the ESA informed that there could be challenges on the observation due to the speed at the Solar Orbiter exhibits, meaning that a naked eye could perceive the probe with full of obstruction.

ESA informed the public through their social platform that the Solar Orbiter contains a speed of 0.3 degrees per second, just half of the diameter of the moon every second. The flyby of Solar Orbiter is just the first phase of the greater mission centered on collecting definitive data and images from the sun. The Solar Orbiter would be the first attempt of the astronomical community to study the sun at the nearest possible location.

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