2003 SPACE SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| SPACECRAFT TRIO PEEKS AT SECRET RECIPE FOR STORMY SOLAR WEATHER | G03-040 | 06/18/03 | 00:05:48 | A three-spacecraft collaboration recorded for the first time the entire initiation process of a high-speed eruption of electrified gas from the Sun, providing clues about the Sun's secret recipe for stormy weather. The April 21, 2002 observation confirmed the predominant scenario for how these eruptions, called Coronal Mass Ejections, are blasted from the Sun.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): Multi-Mission CME Observation Data Visualization - Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) are often associated with solar flares. A flare is a giant explosion in the solar atmosphere that spews radiation and results in the heating of solar gas and the acceleration of particles to nearly the speed of light. Both events can be initiated in a matter of seconds, making their joint observations difficult to coordinate.
A three-spacecraft collaboration (NASA's Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar
Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), NASA's Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), and the NASA/ESA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
spacecraft) recorded for the first time the entire initiation process of a high-speed eruption of electrified gas from the Sun. This multi-mission observation provides clues about the Sun's secret recipe for stormy weather. The April 21, 2002 observation confirmed the predominant scenario for how these eruptions, called Coronal Mass Ejections, are blasted from the Sun.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (2): RHESSI Observations of X-Ray and Gamma Rays From Solar Flare - The twisting and snapping of magnetic field lines on the Sun, called magnetic reconnection, seem to cause CMEs and solar flares. When these fields snap from the buildup of magnetic energy, plasma is heated and particles are accelerated, resulting in massive explosions and the emission of radiation ranging from radio waves to X-rays and gamma rays.
The RHESSI spacecraft saw a gradually increasing burst of X-rays (red) announcing the start of the flare. Several minutes later, RHESSI saw a burst of high-energy X-rays (blue) under the erupting CME. RHESSI also observed gamma ray emission near the flare (purple). TRACE saw a similar explosion of ultraviolet rays, indicating a large flare.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (3): RHESSI Spacecraft Animation - NASA's Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), observes flaring regions of the Sun in high-energy X-ray and gamma ray radiation.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (4): TRACE Spacecraft Animation - NASA's Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), takes High-resolution, extreme ultraviolet images with a rapid cadence providing unprecedented details about the Sun's behavior.
Courtesy: NASA
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| ITEM (5): SOHO Spacecraft Animation - Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, is a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency. SOHO's instruments enable the study of the internal structure of the Sun, its extensive outer atmosphere and the origin of the solar wind, the stream of highly ionized gas that blows continuously outward through the Solar System.
Courtesy: NASA
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