CLASP Aids in Exploration of Sun's Outer Atmosphere's Magnetic Field:

A cohort of NASA scientists and an international group of researchers provided the first ever polarization measurements of ultraviolet light discharged from the outer atmosphere of the Sun.These measurements were provided with the help of the data accumulated from the from the high-precision science instrument CLASP -- the Chromospheric Lyman-Alpha Spectro-Polarimeter. The polarization measurements taken previously were limited to the visible light emitted from the Sun's surface. The heliophysicists -- who analyse the Sun and the alterations taking place in the very physics of space around Earth and other planets -- used this technique to study the Sun. They can now answer various fundamental questions about the Sun's chromospheres -- an important layer present at the outer atmosphere of the Sun. "Understanding the role of the magnetic field is vital to predicting powerful solar activity and protecting space and Earth technology from potential damage," said David McKenzie, a fellow NASA heliophysicist and Winebarger's colleague.

from Ham Radio Times http://ift.tt/2rFyWfn
via IFTTT