Solar Physics Task Group

This solar TG is proud to announce our IYA2009 total solar eclipse website:

As we already did for the first sunrise of the astronomical year, and the partial eclipse, this webpage is portal to share links and information about the eclipse.

We have also created a way so that anyone could participate and upload their pictures of the eclipse, as it hoovers along Asia. Making it possible for the whole world to enjoy this magnificent event.

Tell your friends to send their pictures, take a look to the webpage and, above all, make it happen

With a printer, scissors, glue and a bit of free time, you can construct your own Sun. Click on the picture to download the material.

PD> This website has been quite silent on the last weeks. We will make our best to recover some rhythm and get you some updates for the upcoming Total Solar Eclipse.

It’s NASA’s 2009 Mission Madness Tournament. And the ESA/NASA solar observatory SOHO is in the finals.

So if you think SOHO is your favorite all time NASA mission, then vote for SOHO!

To vote for SOHO:

1. Visit: http://mission-madness.nasa.gov/mm/bracket.html

2. Find SOHO (under the large, red SUBMIT VOTE button)

3. Click on “SOHO” to highlight the name, then click on blue arrow.

4. Click the large, red, “Submit vote” button. You’ll be asked to enter some characters in a pop-up box to verify you’re not a robot, and your vote will be counted;

5. Go to (1), above by clicking on the “bracket” link in the middle of the page, and repeat as often as you like.

Today is the big Day, the Sun Day.

Join us with any of the many events from 100 hours of astronomy today, or the ones commented on our Sun Day page, or follow the instructions to create your own event. You decide, but please, remember these safety instructions.

You can also check the APOD today, dedicated to this Sun Day.

IYA2009: The Universe, yours to discover.

Sun Day: The Sun, yours to discover.

Only few days left for 100 Hours of Astronomy to start ( 2-5 April ). Take a look to the myriad of events organized everywhere, everyday and of every kind. As the motto says, make it happen.

Among these events there are many sun related ones. Take a look to the solar filtered list. you should also take a look on your national webpage. Some events are recorded on their national webpages instead of the global project page. This is specially true for non-English speaking countries.

Everyday of 100 Hours there s featured activity. And the last day, as you know is the Sun Day. We encourage you, again, to find events near you or even make your own using our guides.

Remember, make it happen, … and send us the pictures!

Solar Week - March 9-13, 2009

Once every fall and spring since 2000, Solar Week provides a week of series of web-based educational classroom activities and games geared for upper-elementary, middle and high school students, with a focus on the Sun-Earth connection. Initiated as a means of encouraging girls in the sciences, one of Solar Week’s special strengths is a role model approach, expressed through on-line interaction between (all) students and leading women solar scientists (via interactive message board).

WEEKLONG CURRICULUM AND ACTIVITIES:
Students learn about solar eclipses, sunspots, and solar storms through a series of activities, games, and lessons.

· Monday – The Sun As A Star

· Tuesday – Solar Closeups, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

· Wednesday – The Active Sun

· Thursday – Let’s Observe the Sun Safely

· Friday – Solar Careers, including Women in Science, Research Jobs and Salaries, and Scientist Blogs.

Solar Week is ideal for students studying the solar system, the stars, and astronomy in general. It’s also for kids wondering what it’s like being a scientist, and possible career choices. Participation makes for a fun computer lab activity as well.

WEEK-LONG INTERACTIVE MESSAGE BOARD:

http://www.solarweek.org/CS

Solar Week has an interactive message board, where classrooms can pose questions of leading solar scientists. Want to know what they know about the Sun? (please read the FAQs before posting).

From the Solar TG we encourage you you take a look and participate in this initiative… and send us your comments and pictures!!

StarPeace project is a global project aimed at connecting people living on two sides of the land or sea borders of different countries by conducting joint star parties to show that the sky, being the same everywhere, could act as a bridge to join the people of the world regardless of the race, culture or nation they belong to. StarPeace is made possible by volunteer participation of active amateur astronomical groups around the world.

 StarPeace started its official activities at the Dawn of 2009 by conducting star parties on two sides of the Persian Gulf in Qeshm Island, Iran and Dubai, UAE. StarPeace project is now officially a Special Project of the IYA2009.

The Sun emits mostly on the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. But it also emits on others, like X-rays, Infrareds, … and also radio. These news update concentrates on radio emissions from the Sun. These radio waves can be converted into human audible frequencies (for educational purposes). That means that you can “listen”  to the Sun in radio.

Want to listen to one of those? Yesterday Thomas  Ashcraft, in New Mexico recorder and processed one particular radio burst from the Sun. You can listen to the burst here:

On visible ranges we can even see this disruption. Here thanks to STEREO SECCHI instrument. On the movie that loads, look for the sudden change.:

These disruption are one of the many aspects of space weather. See for example, the effect of a strong Solar Radio Burst 2 years ago. Look on the Resources page for more information about space weather.

Coming back to radio frequencies, here is another example of one of these Radio Bursts, again converted into audible frecuencies:

Link to first audio sent by Manoj Pai, thanks!