All articles tagged with #solar observations
SOHO has been observing the Sun for 30 years, providing invaluable data that has revolutionized our understanding of solar phenomena, contributed to space weather forecasting, and supported numerous scientific discoveries and subsequent missions.
Astronomers have proposed using disco balls as a safe and fun way to observe the Sun in universities and scientific facilities. In a new paper, the researchers explain that disco balls, made up of pinhead mirrors, function similarly to pinhole cameras, projecting small images of the Sun onto walls when sunlight shines through a window. The researchers conducted a successful experiment at an undisclosed university, where the disco ball not only reflected images of the Sun throughout the room but also engaged visitors, particularly children. With a total solar eclipse approaching in 2024, the astronomers believe disco balls could be a versatile and engaging educational tool for both classrooms and public events.
NASA's STEREO-A spacecraft, after nearly 17 years, is making its first Earth flyby, providing a unique opportunity for collaboration with other NASA missions and new insights into the sun. STEREO-A, along with its twin STEREO-B, launched in 2006 and achieved the first stereoscopic view of the sun. During the Earth flyby, STEREO-A will combine views with other spacecraft to achieve 3D vision and gather measurements of active regions and coronal loops. The mission will also provide multipoint measurements of Earth-directed coronal mass ejections, offering a better understanding of their magnetic field evolution. As the sun approaches solar maximum, STEREO-A will experience a fundamentally different sun, providing valuable knowledge about solar activity.
Scientists have long been puzzled by the fact that the solar corona, the atmosphere of the Sun, is about 200 times hotter than its surface. A new study proposes that high-frequency magnetic waves could be responsible for heating up the corona. Recent observations have shown that transverse oscillations in the smallest magnetic structures in the corona could play a key role in delivering the necessary energy. The research, conducted using data from the Solar Orbiter and other solar observatories, suggests that these fast oscillations contribute enough energy to explain the heating in the corona. Further investigations are underway to discover higher-frequency magnetic waves and solve this long-standing mystery.