Photospere: The photosphere was the first part of the Sun to be studies as it can be ssen in
white light, the same light that we detect with our eyes. Many telescopes on the Earth study
the Sun in white light.
Chromosphere: The temperature of the chromosphere is highter than the photosphere and
can be observed by light emitted from ionised helium. Special telescopes are used which are
sensitive to these wavelenghts.
Corona: The corona is the hottest part of the solar atmosphere. Instruments which detect
ultra-violet and X-ray radiation are used.
NASA
Prepared by Kamil Rogowski
The first satellites to observe the Sun were NASA's Pioneers 5,6,7,8 and 9 which were lunched
between 1959 and 1968. These probes orbited the Sun at a distance similar to that of Earth,
and made the first detailed measurements of the solar wind and the solar magnetic field.
In 1980, The Solar Maximum Mission was lunched by NASA. Thi s spacecraft was designedo to
observe gamma rays, X-rays and UV radiation from solar flares during a time of high solar
activity and solar lumonosity.
GALILEO
Prepared by Andżelika Mazur
The discovery of sunspots by Galileo is considered the beginning of the history of solar
reasearch. Stains are one of the manifestations of magnetic activity, which is the main
subject of heliophysics reserch.
Thanks to this research, we learned that the sun used only less than half of it’s nuclear Energy
supply. New generation spectrographs enabled determination of movements at centimeter
rates per second. Measuring such weak signals is important for the seismic probing of stars
and for detecting plans circling them.
At the last meeting we talked about the most famous people connected with
space. These were Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo, Alexander Wolszczan, Edwin
Hubble.
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