X-ray views of our solar system

Through observations spanning more than 20 years, XMM-Newton and Chandra have provided us with a wealth of X-ray data from the solar system; these have opened a new window on the phenomena taking place in planetary atmospheres and magnetospheres, on minor bodies, and on their response to solar activity. We are currently in a golden era for joint X-ray and in situ studies of Jupiter, with Juno orbiting the planet and several campaigns of simultaneous multi-wavelength observations taking place, with XMM-Newton and Chandra playing prominent roles. Such synergetic measurements have achieved remarkable discoveries and identified emission mechanisms that we expect to see replicated in other stellar systems. We look forward to the time when the next major ESA X-ray observatory, ATHENA, will be flying, and the remarkable advances that it will bring in terms of collecting area and non-dispersive high resolution spectroscopy. On a shorter timescale, and with more modest sensitivity and spectral resolution, we will witness the impact of the buffeting of the solar wind, and the effects of space weather, on our own planet, by mapping the Earth's magnetosheath and magnetospheric cusps in X-rays with the Soft X-ray Imager on SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer), due for launch at the end of 2024.