First Record for the 2001 Space Science Videotapes

2001 SPACE SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES

Tape Title	Record ID	Date Produced	TRT:	Synopsis
SOUNDS OF THE SUN	G01-011	02/21/01	00:15:24	Like listening to a heartbeat, scientists called helioseismologists are listening to the sound of the Sun to learn about its temperature, chemical makeup, and motions. An instrument aboard NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) watches the movements of the surface of the Sun to reconstruct the sound. Each pitch corresponds with a particular part of the Sun, allowing for various measurements and studies.
TAPE CONTENTS:
ITEM (1): The Active Sun - At a peak time in its 11-year solar cycle, the Sun is an extremely active star. The max period is reflected by the intense and consistent solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), some visible in this image from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). While the Sun's vibrations do not intensify during solar max, some of the frequencies change and the number of 'bangs' created by CMEs increase. *Courtesy: NASA/ESA*
ITEM (2): Seeing The Sounds - This image from the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) instrument aboard SOHO clearly shows the surface motions of the Sun that are captured to create an audio track for the Sun. Because sound cannot travel through the vacuum of space, helioseismologists recreate it by speeding up the frequencies some 42,000 times and compress 40 days' worth of vibrations into a few seconds. *Courtesy: NASA/ESA*
ITEM (3): Close-Up of Granules - This close-up reveals a small section of the solar surface where each granule is bigger than the state of Texas. They are part of a continuously changing network of convective cells that grow, fragment, decay, and explode like an earthly sonic boom within five minutes. This sends sound (pressure) waves throughout the Sun in millions of directions. *Courtesy: Swedish Vacuum Solar Telescope/Lockheed Martin*
ITEM (4): Sunquakes - Another correlation between Earth and the Sun: sunquakes. Solar flares (explosions on the surface) can also generate seismic disturbances on the surface and interior. Similar to throwing a pebble in a pond, the waves produced can shake the Sun to its very center and if on Earth, could measure up to 11.3 on the Richter scale. *Courtesy: NASA / ESA*
ITEM (5): X-Ray Vision - Superman's X-ray vision is nothing compared to the MDI's ability to see through the Sun to identify stormy solar weather up to a week in advance from the far side of the Sun. By watching the visible ripples on the Sun, scientists can see developing solar storms, called active regions. These regions are much larger than the Earth and consist of strong magnetic fields on the Sun's surface; they are the origin of CMEs and solar flares. *Courtesy: NASA/ESA*
ITEM (6): Tunes Reveal Temperature - Helioseismology relies on different sounds from different parts of the Sun, but some parts proved hotter (red) or cooler (blue) than expected. The finding was based on sound traveling faster in regions that are hotter, and slower in cool regions. This image is from MDI and VIRGO, both on the SOHO spacecraft. *Courtesy: NASA/ESA*
ITEM (7): Fountains of Fire - This animation shows the coronal loops in detail. Magnetic energy rising up from bipolar loops interacts to produce electrical and magnetic "short circuits". These magnetic fields that appear and disappear within days, have a north and south pole connected by a rising arch. They are replenished every 40 hours, vary in size, and typically number about 50,000. *Courtesy: NASA / ESA*
ITEM (8): Magnetic Carpet - This animation shows the coronal loops in detail. Magnetic energy rising up from bipolar loops interacts to produce electrical and magnetic "short circuits". These magnetic fields that appear and disappear within days, have a north and south pole connected by a rising arch. They are replenished every 40 hours, vary in size, and typically number about 50,000. *Courtesy: NASA / ESA*
ITEM (9): Solar Rotation/ Plasma Rivers - Scientists have known that a complete solar rotation at the equator is 27 days but 35 days at the poles. Helioseismology has shown that this differential rotation extends below the surface. This phenomenon is attributed to the Sun's composition of ionized gas called plasma - such a rotation would be impossible on the solid Earth. The rivers shown here reflect the different speeds of flow at different levels. The second animation shows the internal structure of the Sun and reaffirms its differing internal rotation rates. The blue structure around the pole represents a jet stream discovered under the surface traveling at about 80 mph faster than the surroundings, much like Earthly jet streams. *Courtesy: NASA/ESA*
ITEM (10): Pulsing Sun - Helioseismology revealed currents of gas deep inside the Sun, speeding and slackening every 16 months. In a March 2000 paper, scientists noted that the discovery was the first indication of changes close to the location of the solar dynamo. The dynamo is theoretical, believed to drive the 11-year solar cycle. When the lower gas speeds up, the upper gas slows and vice versa; the layers can differ by as much as 20% in six months. *Courtesy: NASA / ESA / NSF*
ITEM (11): Sunspots - The MDI also studies sunspots, concentrations of strong magnetic flux with a lifetime of a few weeks. They appear darker due to a temperature of nearly half that of the solar surface. Sunspot activity tends to rise and fall in an 11-year cycle. They are important because their intense magnetic field powers events like solar flares and CMEs. *Courtesy: NASA / ESA*
ITEM (12): Tracking Sound Waves - Like seismic waves on Earth, sound waves in the Sun do not travel in straight lines. The rays are bent and circle the solar interior in spherical shells or resonant cavities. *Courtesy: NASA / ESA*
ITEM (13): Solar Max - Like the Earth, the Sun has seasons; we are currently in the middle of the highpoint, or "solar max". A two to three year period when the Sun's activity is most complex and turbulent, the solar max can be seen in the comparison of 1996 and 2000 solar images. While solar max does not change the sound heard by helioseismologists, it does influence the number of CMEs and flares heard. *Courtesy: NASA / ESA*
ITEM (14): CMEs & Solar Flares - Among unanswered questions for helioseismologists: how are sunspots, solar flares and CMEs related to the motions in the solar interior? They hope to learn more about the solar activity cycle by better understanding the motions of the Sun. The plasma and radiation released by flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can endanger astronauts, disrupt radio communication, and wipe out satellites. *Courtesy: NASA/ESA*
ITEM (15): SOHO Spacecraft - The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) orbits the Sun at a location approximately one million miles from Earth to gain an unobstructed view of the Sun. It carries 12 instruments and is a joint NASA / European Space Agency (ESA) mission. *Courtesy: NASA/ESA*
ITEM (16): MDI Instrument - Sound waves from active regions propagate through the Sun's interior and bounce off the Sun's outer surface. The Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) instrument on the SOHO spacecraft can detect the extremely subtle distortions these sound waves create on the Sun's surface. This data helps deduce the location of an active region on the far side of the sun. *Courtesy: NASA / ESA*
ITEM (17): Solar Audio *Courtesy: NASA*

[21 Second Audio Clip of Sun]

NOTE: The material advertised on this page is a "Video File" and is strictly recommended for the media and production companies. This is NOT a finished production and contains no narration.

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2001 SPACE SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES

Tape Title

Record ID

Date Produced

TRT:

Synopsis

TAPE CONTENTS:

NOTE: The material advertised on this page is a "Video File" and is strictly recommended for the media and production companies. This is NOT a finished production and contains no narration.