The Parker Solar Probe has a very eccentric orbit around the sun and mostly operates behind this large head shield which always faces the sun. So imagine it like horse blinders and the instruments are facing in the direction of travel and to some extent 'to the right' away from the sun.
In the video the sun is always to the left and the probe is going through its closes approach of the orbit (aka perigee) which directly correlates to the velocity telemetry in the bottom left. At the highest speed, it's closest to the sun.
So in the video of the vortex the sun is to the left, the axis of the vortex is likely pointing directly at the sun and the probe is flying past it.
It's one of the coolest science images I've seen! I don't understand how one can't be in awe.
Look at the time scale. Look at how big that structure is!
We're traveling at nearly 0.1% the speed of light, at temperatures of 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an incredible testament to science and engineering.
You know what else might look boring but is actually insanely cool? Emission spectra from exoplanets. Peaks on a graph, but we're sensing atmospheres from worlds our ancestors could never have imagined.
Just think what lies ahead for our species. It's incredible to ponder.
This probe is flying through an incredibly harsh environment, and it’s likely tuned for certain brightnesses/wavelengths to show features better. It’s also why a lot of space probes use false color; your eyes just wouldn’t be able to see features otherwise.
