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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A coronal mass ejection observed by the ESA/NASA SOHO space mission on 4 January 2002 has been coloured to indicate the intensity of the matter being ejected by the Sun. White represents the greatest intensity, red/orange somewhat less, and blue the least.
An extreme-ultraviolet image of the Sun captured by SOHO’s EIT (Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) instrument is superimposed on the image. The shaded blue disc surrounding the Sun at the centre is a mask in SOHO’s LASCO instrument that blots out direct sunlight to allow study of the details in the Sun’s corona.