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
Go to topicThis movie shows observations from Hinode’s Solar Optical Telescope of a region at the south pole of the Sun on 19 March 2007. The region shown is as large as three times the diameter of Earth. The thin fountains of gas at the limb of the Sun are seen to form rapidly propelling matter upward, while moving transversely to their own long axis during their short lifetimes. These transverse motions are caused by Alfvén waves that have enough power to drive the solar wind. The movie is sped up by a factor of 100 compared to what happens on the Sun.