A mini photo voltaic telescope aboard the Worldwide House Station caught the first-ever photos, which reveal the delicate and never-seen adjustments within the outer ambiance of the Solar. It is called the Coronal Diagnostic Experiment (CODEX) and has been designed to know the photo voltaic corona, the outer layer of the Solar, in depth. This mini telescope features like a coronagraph, which blocks the Solar’s disk to mimic the entire photo voltaic eclipse. CODEX was delivered by SpaceX Dragon on November 5, 2024. It was mounted on the ISS utilizing the Canadarm2 robotic arm on November 9, 2025.
Revolutionising Photo voltaic Statement
In response to the report by NASA, the distinctive design of CODEX consists of an occulting disk the dimensions of a tennis ball held by three arms made up of metallic. It permits it to dam the extraordinary daylight when imaging the faint corona. The primary photos had been revealed on June 10, 2025, on the time of the American Astronomical Society’s assembly in Alaska. These comprised photos of coronal streamers and pictures of the temperature fluctuations within the outer corona over many days. This presents a contemporary perspective on solar dynamics.
Measuring Photo voltaic Wind Like By no means Earlier than
CODEX is not like the earlier coronagraphs as it’s the first to measure each the velocity and temperature of the photo voltaic wind. There’s a fixed move of superhot particles from the Solar. With the assistance of 4 narrowband filters, by which two are used for figuring out the temperature and two for velocity, astronomers examine brightness to decode these properties, which helps in fixing the thriller of how the solar wind reaches 1.8 million levels Fahrenheit.
Tackling the Photo voltaic Climate Problem
To know the photo voltaic wind, it’s essential to foretell the geomagnetic storms triggered by the coronal holes. Shortly, the storms noticed on June 13, 2025 and June 25, 2025, induced auroras due to these occasions. After refining the evaluation of photo voltaic wind, CODEX can assist in mitigating and forecasting such sort of disturbances.
A Well timed Launch Amid Photo voltaic Peak
NASA’s CODEX began operations at an acceptable second, simply as the present photo voltaic most involves its finish. Because the magnetic area of the Solar shifts in the course of the photo voltaic battle zone, CODEX is able to catch the crucial knowledge that may change our understanding of the climate in area.