The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The solar wind stream depends on the solar activity cycle of 11 years. So, when the solar activity is high it is more probable to see auroras because there are more intense particle ejections. Currently the Sun is moving to the minimum of the present solar cycle, so the solar mass ejections are not very intense. However, other solar features release significant streams of charged particles. The Sun´s corona acts as a shield that decelerates and reduces the solar wind normally ejected from the photosphere. As the corona is constantly changing and reshaping due to its interaction with the solar magnetic field, sometimes an area opens in the corona, then a coronal hole is formed. As a consequence the solar wind increases significantly and it is followed by intense auroras around the Earth poles.