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The active Sun

The active Sun. The magnetic Sun. White light. Magnetic field. Solar magnetic fields reach far out into space. Solar magnetic fields reach out into the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere…the corona. Temperatures in the corona are 1 - 2 million degrees Kelvin.

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The active Sun

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  1. The active Sun

  2. The magnetic Sun White light Magnetic field

  3. Solar magnetic fields reach far out into space

  4. Solar magnetic fields reach out into the outermost layer of the Sun’s atmosphere…the corona Temperatures in the corona are 1 - 2 million degrees Kelvin

  5. Your chance to see the solar corona Total eclipse of the Sun…August 21, 2017

  6. The 11 Year Solar Cycle The Sun has a “heartbeat”; its properties change on a period of 11 years

  7. Latest data on this sunspot cycle

  8. An indication that our knowledge of the solar cycle is far from perfect

  9. Predictions in 2007 Observations and predictions as of today

  10. Sunspots are the sites of big explosions (solar flares and coronal mass ejections)

  11. The Sunspot Cycle has been going on for a long time Observations show cycle persisting, but “turning off” from 1650 to 1730 (Maunder Minimum)

  12. The Solar Wind • A wind past the Earth at 400 km/sec • The Sun is “melting away” • Density 19 orders of magnitude less than atmosphere • A medium for solar events • May have “sandblasted” the early atmosphere of Mars

  13. The Lesson for Other Stars • Do they also have sunspots, sunspot cycles, etc? • How does all this (magnetic fields, solar wind, rotation) relate to the age of a star?

  14. Telescopes The instruments we use to study the universe

  15. More about telescopes • What you will be looking through later in the semester • Progress in astronomy would have been impossible without them

  16. Telescopes do two things: • Collect “Big Piles” of light • Magnify object (it looks a lot closer than it is)

  17. Types of Telescopes • Refractors • Reflectors • Radio telescopes • None of the above

  18. Reflectors and Refractors Newtonian Cassegrain

  19. Refractors: more details from the book Demo

  20. Reflectors: more details from the book Demo

  21. Formation of an image

  22. Magnification of a telescope The longer the focal length, the higher the magnification

  23. Modern astronomy: instead of an eyepiece, a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)

  24. Keck Telescopes (Reflectors): 10 meter diameter

  25. Resolution: How small detail can you see with a telescope?

  26. Resolution: smallest angle measurable Angle=wavelength/diameter(telescope) (radians)

  27. Radio Telescopes Wavelength large (1cm – 1 meter typically) so D has to be HUGE

  28. Radio Interferometers: The ultimate in angular resolution

  29. Final topic: the disappearing night sky:The US by night; where is it dark?

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