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 image shows an immense M7-class solar flare seen by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) on 19 July 2012 at 16:22 CEST. Its source was the sunspot group NOAA 1520, the largest seen in 2012 and the second largest so far of the current solar cycle.
The current solar cycle, SC24, is the 24th cycle since 1755, when scientists started recording solar sunspot activity. The first active region of this cycle was seen in early 2008, although the activity minimum between cycles didn't follow until some months later.