Images capture sun's activity
Wednesday, 20 Dec 2006 11:37
Loops in a magnetic active region of the sun
Science In Focus
Click here for top tips on making environmental practices work for your business, on inthenews.co.uk. Full Story
Nasa scientists are "absolutely thrilled" with the first images of the sun captured by the twin aircraft of the solar terrestrial relations observatories (Stereo) mission.
Stereo was launched in October to make observations to help scientists construct the first ever three-dimensional views of the sun.
These views are said to be vital as they will show the sun's stormy environment and its effect on the inner solar system.
Coronal mass ejections (CME) can disrupt satellites, radio communications and Earth's power systems.
Michael Kaiser, Stereo project scientist, said that the first images of CME would contribute towards scientists being able to "answer some interesting questions".
"We're absolutely thrilled. We've been looking forward to Stereo's unique vantage point for over ten years now and the community couldn't be happier with these first views," he said.
Scientists involved with Stereo are now eagerly anticipating what the next large CME looks like in 3D.
Russell Howard, principal investigator for the imaging instrument suite aboard both observatories, commented: "Our ultimate goal is seeing solar flares and coronal mass ejections in 3D to better understand their origin, evolution and determine whether or not they're a threat to Earth."