Tue, Feb 08, 2011
First Full Images Of Our Star Released
NASA scored big on its own version of super SUN-day, with the
release online of the first complete view of the sun's entire
surface and atmosphere prior to the big game this weekend.
NASA STEREO Image
Seeing the whole sun front and back simultaneously will enable
significant advances in space weather forecasting for Earth, and
improve planning for future robotic or crewed spacecraft missions
throughout the solar system. These views are the result of
observations by NASA's two Solar TErrestrial Relations Observatory
(STEREO) spacecraft. The duo are on diametrically opposite sides of
the sun, 180 degrees apart. One is ahead of Earth in its orbit, the
other trailing behind.
Launched in October 2006, STEREO traces the flow of energy and
matter from the sun to Earth. It also provides unique and
revolutionary views of the sun-Earth system. The mission observed
the sun in 3-D for the first time in 2007. In 2009, the twin
spacecraft revealed the 3-D structure of coronal mass ejections
which are violent eruptions of matter from the sun that can disrupt
communications, navigation, satellites and power grids on
Earth.
STEREO is the third mission in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Probes
program within the agency's Science Mission Directorate in
Washington. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD,
manages the mission, instruments and science center.
STEREO Constellation NASA Artist's Rendering
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in
Laurel, MD, designed and built the spacecraft and is responsible
for mission operations. The STEREO imaging and particle detecting
instruments were designed and built by scientific institutions in
the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and
Switzerland.
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