Summary:
- NASA's PUNCH mission aims to create a "virtual telescope" spanning over 8,000 miles to track and study solar storms and the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona.
- The mission will use a network of four small satellites to capture images and data on coronal mass ejections (CMEs) - powerful eruptions of solar material that can impact Earth's atmosphere and disrupt satellites, communications, and power grids.
- By providing continuous monitoring of the Sun's corona, the PUNCH mission will help improve our understanding of space weather and enable better forecasting and preparedness for potentially disruptive solar events.