Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) launch today.

[The Mad Rapper]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that the sun has been experiencing a period of calm and is now moving towards a solar maximum. Is that correct?

How active is it likely to get?

 

[Cosimo]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that the sun has been experiencing a period of calm and is now moving towards a solar maximum. Is that correct?

How active is it likely to get?

Solar activity has been at a low and we are now experiencing what appears to be the beginning of another solar cycle. Typically these cycles have an 11 year period and this one looks like it is on its way with scientists predicting that it will reach peak activity next year.

 

[The Mad Rapper]

Solar activity has been at a low and we are now experiencing what appears to be the beginning of another solar cycle. Typically these cycles have an 11 year period and this one looks like it is on its way with scientists predicting that it will reach peak activity next year.

Thanks.

Is there anything to indicate that this peak activity is likely to be more pronounced than previous peaks? I am reading conflicting information on the Internet.

 

[Cosimo]

Thanks.

Is there anything to indicate that this peak activity is likely to be more pronounced than previous peaks? I am reading conflicting information on the Internet.

There are these trends/predictions:

http://www.solarcycle24.com/trends.htm

You could follow these:

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/forecast.html
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
http://www.solarcycle24.com/

I might be asking a few questions here:

http://solarcycle24com.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general

 

[The Mad Rapper]

There are these trends/predictions:

http://www.solarcycle24.com/trends.htm

You could follow these:

http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/forecast.html
http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/
http://www.solarcycle24.com/

I might be asking a few questions here:

http://solarcycle24com.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general

Ta muchly

 

[Cosimo]

The activity never stops. This time we have solar flares and sunspots.

NASA SDO - August 14, 2010 Solar Flare

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Yet another busy weekend on the Sun with three CMEs. On August 14, 2010 we observed a beautiful solar flare.

NASA SDO - HMI's view of a Sunspots

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NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory observed the active region 1093 from August 8 through August 13, 2010 and the split of the sunspot into two sunspots.

 

[Cosimo]

Time to get a better understanding of what is happening:

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[Greenlizard0]

Not really related (that much), but The Big Picture by The Boston's most recent collection is a variety from our Solar System.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/09/around_the_solar_system.html

 

[Marine Iguana]

Nice set of pictures in there, cheers

 

[Cosimo]

Two new videos have arrived.

NASA SDO - The Dance of Filaments, September 13, 2010

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Beautiful movie of filaments dancing on the Sun at the northwest limb on September 13, 2010.

Credit: NASA SDO / Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company

NASA SDO & STEREO - Comparative View of the Sun

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This movie compares the spatial and temporal resolutions of the SDO/AIA (Atmospheric Imaging Assembly) imager to the STEREO/EUVI (Extreme UltraViolet Imager) imager. STEREO-B/EUVI's highest resolution is 2048x2048 pixels with images taken about every 5 minutes for the 195 Angstrom band. The SDO/AIA 193 band takes images at 4096x4096 pixels every twelve seconds!

While STEREO's vantage point at this time is very different from SDO, we can still identify some features of the Active Region 1087 in these two views. EUVI shows the launch of the filament, while AIA reveals many finer details.

Credit:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
NASA STEREO
NASA SDO

 

[Cosimo]

For the first time the 3-D structure of coronal mass ejections has been revealed:

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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.

Seeing the whole sun front and back simultaneously will enable significant advances in space weather forecasting for Earth and for planning for future robotic and manned 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.

Credit: NASA

 

[Cosimo]

A very brief history of how we have viewed the sun:

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Short and sweet.

 

[Cosimo]

This one is a stunner and shows a monster prominence which occurred on the edge of the sun yesterday:

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When a rather large-sized (M 3.6 class) flare occurred near the edge of the Sun, it blew out a gorgeous, waving mass of erupting plasma that swirled and twisted over a 90-minute period (Feb. 24, 2011). This event was captured in extreme ultraviolet light by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft . Some of the material blew out into space and other portions fell back to the surface. Because SDO images are super-HD, we can zoom in on the action and still see exquisite details. And using a cadence of a frame taken every 24 seconds, the sense of motion is, by all appearances, seamless. Sit back and enjoy the jaw-dropping solar show

 

[Kazz]

The footage we get from the SDO is just incredible .

 

[Kazz]

Thought I'd give this interesting thread a little bump with some footage from yesterday.

 

[Marine Iguana]

Imagine if that had been earth bound

 

[PermaBanned]

Imagine if that had been earth bound

I think we probably would have realized how much we take for granted

 

[Marine Iguana]