SOHO - SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory
Thursday, July 24 2003 @ 12:43 am EDT
Contributed by: bobmoody
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| 171 ang |
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| 195 ang |
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| 284 ang |
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| 304 ang |
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| All Images courtesy SOHO (ESA/NASA) |
Earth's premier Solar observation platform.
When you want to find out what the Sun looks like today, you dig out your solar filter and drag the scope outside for a quick look, right? Or, you might just go to your computer and pull up the SOHO site.
Here, you'll find not only the latest images of our Sun from one of the instruments on board SOHO, but LOTS of other stuff as well. An extensive archive of images will take you almost back to the vehicle's launch date of December 2, 1995. The images may be ones like these from July 23, 2003, taken by the EIT (Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope). EIT is able to image the Sun's transition region and inner corona in four selected bandpasses at wavelengths of 171a. (angstroms), showing the spectral lines of iron (Fe IX/X), 195a. (Fe XII), 284a. (Fe XV) and 304a. showing the doubly-ionized helium lines of (He II).
Other instruments reveal yet more spectacular images. The MIDI/SOI (Michelson Doppler Imager for Solar Oscillations Investigations) studies the solar interior structure and dynamics of the Sun.
While at the site, you may notice that a sidebar announces FREE STUFF available just for the asking (and a small postage fee). For those who would like to have a CD-ROM of the Best of SOHO, simply send a self-addressed-stamped-envelope (SASE) to the following address with $1.50 return postage:
ESA SOHO Project Scientist Office
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Mail Code 682.3
SOHO EAF
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Make sure the envelope is large enough to accept a CD-ROM jewel case. A new updated version is due out in the near future.Check out the SOHO site, images and science experiments. A fascinating experience and beautiful images await.
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AOAS.ORG
http://www.aoas.org/article.php?story=20030722225843952