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Here Comes The Sun
Rock will appreciate this one! It sounds like a SyFy movie but is real........
Timing is everything. And for the Solar Dynamics Observatory, launched into orbit this past February, the timing couldn't have been better. The SDO helps scientists study solar storms, and for a long couple of years prior to the launch, those storms were few and far between.
Our nearby star was in a deep sleep, largely devoid of the sunspots, flares and prominences that indicate heightened magnetic activity. And while such lulls have historically occurred every 11 years or so, this past solar minimum was exceptionally quiet and long-lasting --- fifteen months longer than average. That prompted some to wonder if we were entering a prolonged downturn, the most dramatic of which can affect climate.
But this year our sun has come back to life, with spectacular outbursts of magnetism and light that arc into loops many times the size of the earth. And the SDO has shown us these prominences with a new and startling level of detail: (picture)
The SDO has sophisticated instruments and high-resolution spectrometers that were developed to give us a greater understanding of the sun-earth environment, or space weather, which can affect our lives more than many would suspect.
Most commonly we see coronal mass ejections of lesser magnitude; they create remarkable shows in the high latitudes, where the solar streams are "collected" by the magnetism of the earth's poles. Solar particles collide with molecules in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, exciting them to the point of illumination, and creating the wondrous displays known as auroras: (Pic)
But occasionally solar storms are much stronger. In 1859, a solar superstorm called the Carrington Event fired up brilliant auroras that awakened people who had mistaken the lights for sunrise. The auroras blanketed the globe, all the way down to the tropics. And there were widespread telegraph system failures,though not necessarily for lack of power; operators were stunned to find the devices still working after they were unplugged!
Now, think about how much the world has changed since 1859.
A report by the National Academy of Sciences outlined the vast potential for damage from a similar storm today. Writes Dr. Tony Phillips, "smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity. A century-class solar storm, the Academy warned, could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina."
Twenty times. And that's where the SDO comes in. Because it's able to monitor the sun with as Dr. Phillips says, "unprecedented spectral, temporal and spatial resolution", it's a powerful tool for scientists who hope to predict solar flares. The SDO is watching our sun 24/7, and scientists always have a detailed picture of how solar activity is evolving.
And there are other satellites that provide some lead time; the twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft monitor the far side of the sun, so flares won't surprise us when coming around the sun's horizon. And the Advanced Composition Explorer has been on patrol since 1997. It gives utility and satellite operators as much as 30 minutes before a powerful CME strikes; in that time, parts of the power grid can be disconnected to minimize the surge potential, and satellites can be put in safe mode, which shields them to an extent.
Thus far solar cycle 24 has not been particularly intense, and some scientists at the recent American Astronomical Society meeting say that it could be half as strong as the last three cycles. There's a lot to learn though. "Space weather forecasting is still in its infancy," says Thomas Bogdan of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. "But we're making rapid progress."
You can keep up with the sun's daily activity at spaceweather.com
Timing is everything. And for the Solar Dynamics Observatory, launched into orbit this past February, the timing couldn't have been better. The SDO helps scientists study solar storms, and for a long couple of years prior to the launch, those storms were few and far between.
Our nearby star was in a deep sleep, largely devoid of the sunspots, flares and prominences that indicate heightened magnetic activity. And while such lulls have historically occurred every 11 years or so, this past solar minimum was exceptionally quiet and long-lasting --- fifteen months longer than average. That prompted some to wonder if we were entering a prolonged downturn, the most dramatic of which can affect climate.
But this year our sun has come back to life, with spectacular outbursts of magnetism and light that arc into loops many times the size of the earth. And the SDO has shown us these prominences with a new and startling level of detail: (picture)
The SDO has sophisticated instruments and high-resolution spectrometers that were developed to give us a greater understanding of the sun-earth environment, or space weather, which can affect our lives more than many would suspect.
Most commonly we see coronal mass ejections of lesser magnitude; they create remarkable shows in the high latitudes, where the solar streams are "collected" by the magnetism of the earth's poles. Solar particles collide with molecules in the upper reaches of the atmosphere, exciting them to the point of illumination, and creating the wondrous displays known as auroras: (Pic)
But occasionally solar storms are much stronger. In 1859, a solar superstorm called the Carrington Event fired up brilliant auroras that awakened people who had mistaken the lights for sunrise. The auroras blanketed the globe, all the way down to the tropics. And there were widespread telegraph system failures,though not necessarily for lack of power; operators were stunned to find the devices still working after they were unplugged!
Now, think about how much the world has changed since 1859.
A report by the National Academy of Sciences outlined the vast potential for damage from a similar storm today. Writes Dr. Tony Phillips, "smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity. A century-class solar storm, the Academy warned, could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina."
Twenty times. And that's where the SDO comes in. Because it's able to monitor the sun with as Dr. Phillips says, "unprecedented spectral, temporal and spatial resolution", it's a powerful tool for scientists who hope to predict solar flares. The SDO is watching our sun 24/7, and scientists always have a detailed picture of how solar activity is evolving.
And there are other satellites that provide some lead time; the twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft monitor the far side of the sun, so flares won't surprise us when coming around the sun's horizon. And the Advanced Composition Explorer has been on patrol since 1997. It gives utility and satellite operators as much as 30 minutes before a powerful CME strikes; in that time, parts of the power grid can be disconnected to minimize the surge potential, and satellites can be put in safe mode, which shields them to an extent.
Thus far solar cycle 24 has not been particularly intense, and some scientists at the recent American Astronomical Society meeting say that it could be half as strong as the last three cycles. There's a lot to learn though. "Space weather forecasting is still in its infancy," says Thomas Bogdan of NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center. "But we're making rapid progress."
You can keep up with the sun's daily activity at spaceweather.com
Keeping in context on the topic of the sun as some of you know I did 72 wks of tx starting in March '08 and ending Aug '09. In my short jaunts with sun exposure I never had the problems with photo sensitivity some experience on treatment but I still took heed and did not expose myself to long periods in the sun during the summer of '08. When the summer of '09 rolled around I was in the major throws of treatment and didn't much care anymore so figured I'd give myself some pool time. Not a good idea because my skin broke out in hives, itched and I would become physically ill. Within an hour, a burning sensation would start on my scalp and I felt like the life was being sucked out of me because the heat was so much more intense. My body felt like it was literally burning up even though I wasn't burning. Needless to say, not much pool time in '09 either.
Completely different story in 2010. No more problems with the sun, brown as a berry and my skin or scalp do not burn. The sun feels wonderful again so for all those who are going through tx this summer and it ***** the big one don't despair because after tx life does get back to normal. If you do get out in the sun, use a good sunscreen because we do burn more easily on treatment.
Trinity
Completely different story in 2010. No more problems with the sun, brown as a berry and my skin or scalp do not burn. The sun feels wonderful again so for all those who are going through tx this summer and it ***** the big one don't despair because after tx life does get back to normal. If you do get out in the sun, use a good sunscreen because we do burn more easily on treatment.
Trinity
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right
Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
cando
and I say it's all right
Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right
cando
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