It is with great sadness that the scientific community mourns the passing of Dr. Volker Bothmer, a distinguished physicist, a visionary leader in solar and heliospheric research, and a passionate educator who brought the wonders of space closer to the public.

Born in 1961, Dr. Bothmer dedicated his life to understanding the complex relationship between our Sun and Earth. His academic journey began at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, where he earned his Physics Diploma in 1989 and his doctorate in 1993. Following a formative period as a Max-Planck Scholar and later as an ESA Research Fellow at ESTEC, Dr. Bothmer returned to the University of Göttingen in 2005. There, as the head of the research group for the Physics of the Sun, Heliosphere, and Space Weather at the Institute for Astrophysics, he established himself as a preeminent expert in his field.

Dr. Bothmer’s professional legacy is defined by his instrumental role in some of the most significant international space missions of the modern era. He was a driving force in the NASA STEREO and Solar Probe Plus missions, serving as a project lead for German contributions and a Co-Investigator for key instrumentation, including the Wide-field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR). As the coordinator of the EU FP7 project “AFFECTS,” he was a pioneer in the study of space weather, consistently working to bridge the gap between complex theoretical physics and the practical protection of our technological infrastructure. He was an excellent space physicist who made truly significant impacts in his field. Dr. Bothmer provided the observational foundation and key interpretation of the flux rope structure of CMEs, which has become the state of the art in our current understanding and modeling of CMEs. His studies paved the way for 3D reconstructions of flux ropes embedded in CMEs and for estimates of their geoeffectiveness based on the hemispheric empirical relation he discovered. These results now form the basis for many space weather forecasting tools.

Beyond his rigorous research, Dr. Bothmer possessed a rare gift for communication. He believed deeply that science should be accessible to all. Whether he was training PhD students, hosting workshops for high school teachers, or developing 3D visualizations for planetariums, he inspired generations of students and citizens alike. His work with the SIMONE network and his frequent public appearances in media and planetariums made him the face of space weather science in Germany, turning abstract solar phenomena into compelling narratives for the public. Dr. Bothmer’s eagerness and enthusiasm in discussing recent and past research results and thinking out of the box is inspiring, especially for young colleagues.

An active member of the international scientific community, Dr. Bothmer served on countless advisory boards, review panels for NASA and ESA, and as an editor for leading scientific journals. He was a tireless collaborator, fostering exchange programs and building bridges between universities and research institutes across Europe, the United States, and China.

Dr. Bothmer leaves behind a profound void in the halls of the University of Göttingen and among his colleagues worldwide. His legacy endures in the missions he helped shape, the students he mentored, and the countless individuals he inspired to look toward the Sun with curiosity and awe. He delivered to friends and colleagues so much. He was a man who gave. He will be deeply missed in both his personality and his professional guidance, but he will remain in our memories forever.

Our thoughts are with his wife Gudrun, his sons Hannes and Tobias, and his entire family.

Submitted by Manuela Temmer, Günther Reitz, Iulia Chifu

 

We announce two HMI Science Nuggets for May 2026.

#226 “Long-Term Clustering Pattern of Solar Active Regions and Their Potential Connection with Magneto-Rossby Waves”, contributed by Junwei Zhao (http://hmi.stanford.edu/hminuggets/?p=4677)

#227 “Diverging subsurface flows beneath active regions dominate magnetic flux transport on the Sun”, contributed by S.P. Rajaguru (http://hmi.stanford.edu/hminuggets/?p=4688)

We welcome submissions on work related to HMI scientific goals. More information can be found at hmi.stanford.edu/hminuggets/

 

It is our pleasure to share new Solar Orbiter science nuggets (May 2026 releases): https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/science-nuggets

SO Nugget #90:  Periodic density structures in Solar Orbiter data: radial evolution and embedded helical structures (C. Katsavrias, S. Di Matteo, L. Kepko, et al.)

SO Nugget #91:  When coronal plumes form, sulfur becomes enriched (S. Mzerguat, M. Janvier, E. Buchlin, et al.)

SO Nugget #92: High-resolution observations of small-scale-activity-in-coronal-hole-plumes (Z. Huang, L. P. Chitta, L. Teriaca, et al.)

As a reminder, new nuggets will be added on a regular basis, based on input from the entire solar and space physics communities.

If you are working on Solar Orbiter data and would like your results to be featured, please contact Miho Janvier ([email protected]).

—
The ESA Solar Orbiter team

 

The SolarNuggets continue the earlier series of RHESSI Nuggets, and are now located at https://heliowiki.smce.nasa.gov/wiki/index.php/SolarNuggets

No. 524, “Observations of Slow Elemental Abundance Decay in Association to CME,” by Saara TAKALA. Solar X-ray spectroscopy tracks coronal abundance variations associated with a CME.

No. 525, “How Extreme can Solar Flare Get? A Statistical View,” by Lapo CECCARELLI and Daniela CASTRO-CAMILO. A proper statistical treatment of the prospects for an extreme solar flare event.

No. 526, ”X-ray Log Letters,” by Hugh HUDSON and Ed CLIVER. Replacing ..ABCMX.. with a new comprehensive and quantitative index, and a QSabcmxyz catalog.

No. 527, “Space Weather Impact of Three Solar Flares Observed at Millimeter Wavelengths,” by Adriana VALIO et al.. Radio mm waves tell an interesting new story.

As always, we welcome new items and encourage opinion pieces and news items as well as descriptions of new discoveries. Just email Hugh Hudson with a page of news-oriented text and 2-3 nice figures.

 

We are pleased to announce a PASJ (Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan) special issue entitled:
Toward the SOLAR-C mission from 20 years of Hinode.

This special issue aims to summarize the scientific achievements enabled by the Hinode mission over the past two decades and to highlight future perspectives toward the next-generation Japanese solar mission SOLAR-C.

We welcome submissions covering a broad range of solar physics topics, including observations, theory, and numerical simulations.

Publication information:
– PASJ Vol. 79, Special Issue 1
– Scheduled publication: August 2027
– Manuscript submission deadline: November 1, 2026

Submission instructions:
Please select
* Article Type: Special issue
* Special Issue Name: Hinode
when submitting your manuscript through PASJ ScholarOne Manuscripts:https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/pasj

We look forward to contributions from the solar physics community.
–Hideyuki Hotta

 

ESA solicits proposals for participation in the NASA-led IRIS mission from scientists working in ESA Member States, in the role of Science Planners.

The 12th Announcement of Opportunity (AO) and a Letter of Invitation by the ESA Director of Science were published on 19 May 2026 at https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/iris-2026

All IRIS science planning and training can be done remotely, so there is no requirement for the successful applicants to carry out these activities in Palo Alto, California, USA.

Applications from Early-Career Scientists are especially encouraged.

Proposals shall be submitted electronically in PDF format at the above web site and must be received not later than 23 June 2026, 12:00 (noon) Central European Summer Time (CEST).

For further information, contact David Williams (ESA Project Scientist for IRIS, [email protected]) and Yannis Zouganelis (Solar System Science Coordinator for ESA, [email protected]).

 

The next month of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF’s) Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) data products is now available. The most recent processing includes the following products:

– network-merged daily velocity and magnetogram images, p-mode-coefficient time series, and mode parameters and flow measurements from ring-diagram technique for GONG month 313 covering the period 20260205 to 20260312

– p-mode frequency data products for central GONG month 312 spanning 20251231 to 20260204

The schedule of GONG helioseismology product releases can be seen at https://gong2.nso.edu/vmbi_pub_sched.html. If you have any questions about the data or identify any issues, please contact us at [email protected].

 

Dr. Sarah Gibson of the High Altitude Observatory was elected to the National Academy of Sciences.
The full list appears at https://www.nasonline.org/news/2026-nas-election/

 

Space Science Innovations Inc. (SSI) has an open position in the development of space weather forecasting systems.  Unfortunately, due to requirements established by some of SSI’s customers, the candidate must be a US citizen or permanent resident.

A strong candidate must have strengths in programming.  Other priorities are familiarity with inner magnetospheric processes and experience using data assimilation methods and/or diffusion modeling techniques.  Responsibilities for the position will include the creation of global reconstructions of the inner magnetosphere using an existing framework that combines the VERB radiation belt modeling code with data assimilation.  The results will be used for Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) and Observing System Experiments (OSE), targeting existing and future missions.

The anticipated start date is June 15^th and the initial appointment will be 6-months, with the possibility of renewal contingent upon performance and available funding.   SSI offers very competitive pay, as well as flexible benefits.  Review of applications will continue until position is filled.

Minimum Qualifications:
* A Ph.D. in Physics, Space Sciences, Computer Science, Atmospheric Science, or a closely related field.
* Strong background in numerical simulations

Preferred Qualifications:
* Knowledge of inner magnetospheric physics
* Demonstrated expertise in Matlab, Python, and/or C++
* Experience with Kalman Filter and quasi-linear diffusion techniques
* Willingness to take leadership roles on current and existing projects
* Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a research and management team

To apply, please email the following documents to Dr. Quintin Schiller ([email protected]):
( A cover letter describing relevant experience and programming skills, including a high-level description of codes developed.
* A 1-page resume/CV
* Contact information for two professional references

SSI is a small business founded in 2017 to address the growing demand for space weather forecasting capabilities.  Recent changes in federal policy have led to an increase in this demand as agencies support these plans.  SSI has contributed to NASA, NOAA, and DoD projects on the topic of near-Earth space weather reconstruction, prediction, and forecasting.  More information about SSI can be found on the website: https://space-sci.com

 

The abstract-submission deadline for the upcoming UK Space Weather & Space Environment Meeting IV: Space as a Global Endeavour meeting, has been extended to Friday 12 June 2026.

 https://iop.eventsair.com/ukswse2026

This year’s UKSWSE Meeting will take place 14-17 September 2026 at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; please see: https://iop.eventsair.com/ukswse2026for full details including other key dates.

This will be a hybrid meeting that allows for full participation and presentation both in-person and online.

Abstracts can be submitted here https://iop.eventsair.com/ukswse2026/abstract-submission.  It is possible to submit more than one abstract.

For examples of the previous iterations of this meeting series please see https://iop.eventsair.com/ukswse2025/, https://iop.eventsair.com/ukswse2024, and https://iop.eventsair.com/ukswse2023.

We look forward to the meeting!

—
Oliver Allanson and Mario Bisi
on behalf of the POC and the LOC

 

Call for Abstracts:
IAU Symposium 410 – New Look at Solar and Stellar Coronae (IAUS410)
Shenzhen, China | 29 November – 4 December 2026

The IAU Symposium 410 New Look at Solar and Stellar Coronae will address some of the most pressing open questions in coronal physics, capitalising on the rapid expansion of high-resolution solar and stellar observations and the growing synergy between the solar and stellar research communities.

Scheduled for 29 November – 4 December 2026 (please note the change of dates) in Shenzhen, China, the symposium coincides with the arrival of major new facilities and missions, as well as significant theoretical advances, making it an ideal moment to reassess the fundamental physical processes operating across the Sun and cool stars.

The scientific programme spans impulsive phenomena, including solar and stellar flares and CMEs, coronal heating and winds, solar and stellar radio physics, coronal seismology, atmospheric connectivity, and novel approaches to data analysis and diagnostics, laying the groundwork for effective exploitation of the solar–stellar analogy.

Registration is now open via the IAUS410 website: https://www.shenzhen-astronomy.org.cn/iaus410

 

The fourth of the Solar Orbiter community building webinars (season 2) will take place on Wednesday 3rd June 2026 (14:00 – 14:30 CET).

This webinar, titled “4 years of Solar Orbiter Observing Plans: a beginner’s guide to searching the datasets from all remote-sensing windows and coordinated observations”, will be presented by Drs Miho Janvier (ESTEC, Netherlands) and Nils Janitzek (ESAC, Spain).

As a reminder, the aim of these webinars is to provide news and insights on Solar Orbiter science and science operations to the wider solar and space physics communities.

Registration for the webinar link can be found here:

https://esait.webex.com/weblink/register/r3496378fef85a3c920a8d37192154d77 
Information on future webinars can be found here: 

https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/solar-orbiter/webinars 
Jack Jenkins for the ESA Solar Orbiter team