SunSpotter Citizen Science
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The document discusses a workshop on observing the sun and forecasting solar flares, highlighting the Sunspotter citizen science project funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 program. It explains the importance of telescopes for solar observation, including those in space, and how they help in predicting solar flares through analyzing magnetic fields. The project invites public participation to classify magnetograms to assist scientists in their research on solar activity.
SunSpotter Citizen Science
- 1. Observing the Sun and Forecasting Solar Flares Workshop introducing the Sunspotter citizen science project as part of the FLARECAST public engagement programme FLARECASThasreceivedfundingfromtheEuropeanUnion'sHorizon2020researchandinnovationprogrammeundergrantagreement640216
- 2. We can look at the sun with naked eyes only for a very short moment during sunsets.
- 3. During daytime, we need to protect our eyes with eclipse glasses.
- 4. However, when there is no eclipse there is not much to see.
- 5. In order to see some interesting details we need telescopes.
- 6. We can observe sunspots with a simple telescope.
- 7. If we want to see more details, we can visit an observatory with better telescopes.
- 8. There are scratches and spots.
- 9. But sometimes we don‘t see anything at all.
- 10. We need to go above the clouds, mounting telescopes on a satellite. On this satellite, we have four different telescopes.
- 11. From space, we can observe the sun without being disturbed by the weather on our planet.
- 12. Zooming in allows us to see the sunspot in great detail. What is this spot? What is going on here?
- 13. Another advantage of a space telescope: We can observe light from the sun that cannot get through the atmosphere of the Earth. This is the sun in ultraviolet light bubbling with hot gas. Huge explosions may occur near sunspot areas – solar flares. They may blast off millions of tons of matter into space.
- 14. See an example of an explosion: a solar flare ejects a large cloud of particles.
- 15. See what we already know about solar flares.
- 16. Solar flares may hit the Earth We need to know in advance, when they will happen.
- 17. We do research working with people from several countries studying how we can forecast solar flares automatically. We named the project FLARECAST.
- 18. What we know is that extremely strong magnetic fields constantly stir the solar surface up.
- 19. We also know that solar flares occur when these magnetic fields become too stressed.
- 20. Using a computer programme we create images of the magnetic field from images made by one of the telescopes on board the satellite we saw before. Here, we see two very strong magnetic fields just near the sunspot. When they get squeezed and mingled together, they release their energy in a huge explosion. This can trigger a solar storm as seen in the movie.
- 21. When the magnetogram looks like this, we know that there won‘t be any solar flares in the next few days.
- 22. Today‘s magnetogram: Would you expect any solar flares in the next few days?
- 23. Space telescopes produce a huge amount of images Scientists cannot classify them alone. We need your help!
- 24. Contribute to science by helping scientists classify a set of 60 000 magnetograms. Get started after the following mini-training.
Editor's Notes
- #2: Notes The workshop was developed for participants who did not (yet) enjoy any physics lessons at school. It can be adapted according to target groups. However, more slides/concepts explained may result in less activity by participants. The slides may guide through the workshop. Hands-on activities are listed in the notes-section of the presentation under the corresponding slide. Please find educational materials designed for this workshop in the FLARECAST outreach resources page flarecast.eu/outreach-resources. Detailed information about sunspots and their classification can be found on the Sunspotter.org website.
- #6: Hands-on activity: observing the sun.
- #8: KSO Kanzelhöhe, Austria
- #11: Solar Dynamics Observatory SDO (NASA)
- #12: SDO HMI Intensitygram - colored
- #13: SDO HMI Intensitygram – colored, high resolution
- #14: SDO AIA 304
- #15: Sources NASA Science Visualization Studio: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=10801 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HloC4xMg4Z4&feature=youtu.be
- #16: Sources NASA Science Visualization Studio: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=10109 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOXVZo7KikE
- #19: Notes Hands-on activity: We cannot see magnetic fields, but we can feel them. (Have kids hold magnets together) Hands-on activity: We can see how the magnetic fields move things or particles. (Have kids play with magnets and iron filings in frames) See flarecast.eu/outreach-resources
- #20: Notes Hands-on activity: Show with magnets and iron filing frame. That‘s why we need to look at the magnetic fields on the sun. But how so, if we cannot see them?
- #23: Insert the latest magnetogram from http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/latest/latest_1024_HMIB.jpg
- #25: Mini-training Observing: Magnetogram – AIA 171 matching game > download images from flarecast.eu/outreach-resources Analyzing magnetograms: explosive or not > download images from flarecast.eu/outreach-resources Classify magnetograms on the Sunspotter.org online platform in groups of two or three for one computer After doing enough classifying, participants can make their own iron filing frame to take home. Download images and instructions from flarecast.eu/outreach-resources