1999 SPACE SCIENCE VIDEOTAPES |
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Tape Title | Record ID | Date Produced | TRT: |
Synopsis |
| "S" MARKS THE SPOT -- SCIENTISTS DISCOVER TOOL FOR FORECASTING ENORMOUS SOLAR ERUPTIONS | G99-013 | 03/09/99 | 00:20:12 | "S" marks the spot for scientists trying to forecast solar eruptions that can damage satellites, disrupt communications networks and cause power outages. Using the Japanese Yohkoh spacecraft, NASA-sponsored scientists have discovered that an S-shaped structure often appears on the Sun in advance of a violent eruption, called a coronal mass ejection, that is as powerful as billions of nuclear explosions. |
TAPE CONTENTS: |
| ITEM (1): "S" MARKS THE SPOT- Artist's Conception - Forecasting the largest and most disruptive solar eruptions several days in advance may now be possible. Scientists have discovered that an "S" shaped structure often appears on the Sun in advance of a violent eruption, as powerful as billions of nuclear explosions, called a coronal mass ejection (CME). The observation will be useful to the burgeoning science of space weather, which attempts to forecast solar activity and its impact on the Earth's environment.
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| ITEM (2): "S" SHAPED SIGMOIDS - AS SEEN BY YOHKOH - Scientists have found a strong correlation between an S-shaped pattern on the Sun, called a sigmoid, and the likelihood that an ejection will occur from that region within days. Each sigmoid is like a loaded gun that we now know has a high probability of going off.
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| ITEM (3): CORONAL MASS EJECTION (CME) - CMEs are violent discharges of electrically charged gas from the Sun's corona. The largest explosions in the solar system, CMEs hurl up to 10 billion tons of ionized gas into space at speeds of one-to-two million miles an hour. CMEs like this one that are pointed away from the Earth pose no danger. This image was captured by SOHO's EIT camera on June 13, 1998. |
| ITEM (4): CORONAL MASS EJECTION (CME) - HALO EVENT - A "halo" CME appears as an expanding ring around the Sun because it is heading directly toward the Earth. Halo CMEs travel the 93 million miles between the Sun and Earth within four days and have the potential to damage satellites, disrupt communications networks and cause power outages. This halo CME was captured by SOHO's LASCO camera on April 7, 1997.
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| ITEM (5): UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF THE "S" - This animation depicts twisted solar magnetic fields scientists believe are responsible for the "S" shaped Sigmoid.
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| ITEM (6): TWISTED MAGNETIC FIELD LINES-AS SEEN BY SOHO'S EIT CAMERA - These images from SOHO's EIT camera show the underlying twisting of the Sun's magnetic field which is linked to the formation of the Sigmoids.
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| ITEM (7): EARTH IMPACT OF CME - This computer visualization shows the impacts of a coronal mass ejection on the Earth's magnetosphere. This discovery of a way to provide early warning of approaching solar storms could prove useful to power companies, the communications industry and organizations that operate spacecraft. The data were collected by the NASA's Wind satellite.
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| ITEM(8): EARTH IMPACT - SIMULATED BLACKOUT - This ainimation depicts a simulated power blackout as seen from space. On March, 13, 1989, a large solar storm caused blackouts in eastern Canada.
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| ITEM (9): AURORA-
9a) The Aurora Borealis, or "northern lights"
9b) Aurora as seen from NASA's Polar Spacecraft
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| ITEM (10): SOHO SPACECRAFT ANIMATION - Animation of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). SOHO is operated by NASA and the European Space Agency.
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| ITEM (11): B-ROLL SOLAR RESEARCH SCIENTISTS
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| ITEM (12): INTERVIEW EXCERPTS - DR. RICHARD CANFIELD RESEARCH PROFESSOR OF PHYSICS, MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY-BOZEMAN
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| ITEM (13): INTERVIEW EXCERPTS - DR. ALPHONSE STERLING, SOLAR RESEARCH SCIENTISTS, COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS, INC., FAIRFAX, VA
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