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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This composite images is a snapshot of the solar explosion which took place at 00:54 UT on 20 January 2004. The inner image was taken with the SOHO EUV Imaging Telescope (EIT) and shows the solar disk in green as seen in the EUV waveband. The southerly white region shows the regions that flared, releasing energy. The outer image in blue taken with the SOHO LASCO telescope shows white areas which are regions of high-density gas and magnetic field leaving the Sun at a speed of over 900 km per second.