1998 SPACE SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| THE VAN ALLEN BELT: EARTH'S NATURAL PARTICLE ACCELERATOR | G98-061 | 12/07/98 | 00:08:09 | The Van Allen radiation belts are doughnut-shaped regions encircling Earth and containing high-energy electrons and ions trapped in the Earth's magnetic field. Explorer I, launched by NASA in 1958, discovered these two regions of intense radiation surrounding the Earth. They are referred to as the inner and outer Van Allen radiation belts, after James Van Allen who designed Explorer I. The inner region is centered at about 3000 km above Earth and has a thickness of about 5000 km. The outer region is centered at about 15,000 -- 20,000 km above the surface of the Earth and has a thickness of 6,000 --10,000 km.
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TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): EARTH'S RADIATION BELTS AS MEASURED BY THE POLAR SATELLITE - This 3D visualization of the Earth's radiation belts shows how they continually change in size and intensity. At times the belts can almost disappear, while at other times new belts can be created. Courtesy of Mike Henderson & Geoff Reeves/Los Alamos National Laboratory
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| ITEM (2): DEEP DI-ELECTRIC CHARGING OF SPACECRAFT - Low-energy electrons in space can stick to the surface of a satellite, while high-energy electrons can penetrate and get embedded in the electronics. These electrons leak away over time, unless the spacecraft is overwhelmed by an abundance of these particles. A flood of high-energy electrons can lead to a spark or short in a satellite. Courtesy of NASA |
| ITEM (3): SAMPEX OBSERVATIONS, SPRING 1998 - The Solar Anomalous Magnetospheric Particle Explorer obtained this series of images of the intensity of the radiation belts and where they connected to Earth's lower atmosphere from April 1 to May 30, 1998. Courtesy of Shri Kanekal/NASA
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| ITEM (4): NOAA MODEL OF EARTH'S MAGNETOSPHERE - The Magnetospheric Specification Model provides a snapshot of the radiation belts in May 1998. Colors indicate levels of energetic electron radiation (low levels = black; high levels = red/white). The white satellites in geosynchronous orbit are moving into and out of the high-radiation regions as they orbit Earth. Courtesy of Terrance Onsager/NOAA
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| ITEM (5): MODEL OF EARTH'S MAGNETOSPHERE IN MAY 1998 - Supercomputers generated this simulation of Earth's magnetosphere as it was buffeted by the solar wind from May 2-4, 1998. The gray ball at the left is Earth, with the Sun off the screen to the left. The translucent gray area shows the boundaries of the magnetosphere. Colors from blue (low) to red (high) show variations in intensity. Courtesy of Advanced Visualization Lab/Univ. of Maryland at College Park
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| ITEMS (6 & 7): SOHO OBSERVES FLARES IN MAY 1998 - SOHO's Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope observed two solar flares between May 1 and 4. The first occurs near the center of the Sun's disk; the second on the right limb. The white snow following each flare is high-energy particles bombarding the camera. Courtesy of ESA/NASA
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| ITEM (8): ANIMATION OF THE ISTP CONSTELLATION - The International Solar Terrestrial Physics program includes more than a dozen spacecraft observing the Sun-Earth system from many angles. Courtesy of NASA
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| ITEM (9): ANIMATION OF THE POLAR SPACECRAFT - Launched in 1996 by NASA, Polar flies over Earth's north and south poles to observe the aurora and the flow of energy from Earth's magnetosphere into the lower atmosphere. Courtesy of NASA
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| ITEM (10): INTERVIEW WITH DR. GEOFFREY REEVES OF LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
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