05/03/2025
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A compelling collection of images that illustrates humanity’s efforts to mitigate the far-reaching impacts of violent solar outbursts has been unveiled in London.
The exhibition – created by photographer and storyteller Max Alexander – features photos of instruments that will be carried by ESA’s Vigil mission, which is expected to transform Europe’s ability to forecast space weather following its launch in 2031.
About 150 million km separate Earth from its closest star but the planet is still well within the vast region of space, known as the heliosphere, that is dominated by the huge amounts energetic material and intense radiation emitted by the Sun.
Solar flares, coronal mass ejections, solar wind and geomagnetic storms can cause changes to the space environment, influencing Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field.
Most of the time these phenomena are harmless – and occasionally trigger stunning displays of aurora borealis – but extreme events have the potential to disrupt infrastructure on Earth and in space, including satellite telecommunications, global positioning systems, and power grids.
Max Alexander says, “The Sun gives us life, but it can also expose the vulnerabilities of the increasingly complex, intertwined systems on which we rely. With the perspectives of leading experts, my aim is to highlight this duality as we build the resilience needed to coexist with the power of our closest star.”
Given the potential economic consequences of extreme solar activity, ESA is expanding Europe’s capability to forecast space weather, as demonstrated by the development of Vigil.
Matthew West, Vigil Mission Scientist at ESA, explains, “From its unique vantage point in deep space, Vigil will detect what happens on the Sun’s surface days before it rotates into view from Earth and satellites on the Sun-Earth line.
“As the first mission to permanently observe the Sun and Earth from the side, its instruments can detect how space weather and the causes of geomagnetic storms move from the Sun towards our planet. This greatly improves our understanding and provides a much more precise and actionable forecast.”
Airbus UK is the prime contractor for the spacecraft and several of its instruments are being developed under the leadership of British institutes, including its magnetometer and its plasma analyser, both of which are featured in the photography collection.
Vigil will greatly enhance ESA’s existing space weather network, managed from its mission control centre in Germany, which draws on observations from multiple sources to provide actionable information on solar activity.
Giuseppe Mandorlo, Vigil Project Manager at ESA, says, “The recent Lloyds of London report on economic impacts due to a major solar event estimated losses of up to $2.4 trillion over 5 years, which highlights the scale and long-lasting effects of such an event.
“The forecasting and ‘nowcasting’ space weather services that Vigil will enable will be essential if we are to mitigate the impacts to our critical services and daily life. Vigil is an investment in protecting our infrastructure and people.”
Alexander concludes, “Solar storms have struck our planet before, and we know they will again – it is just a matter of when. This exhibition tells the story of how humanity is using its ingenuity and knowledge to develop the tools protect itself from such an event.”
‘Life in the Sun’s Atmosphere: from Disruption to Resilience’ is on show in London at Lloyd’s, the world’s leading insurance and reinsurance marketplace, from 3 to 14 March 2025.
