This workshop introduces 10-13 years old children to space weather, solar-flare forecasting and the SunSpotter citizen science project.
Hanna Sathiapal, FLARECAST outreach 2015-2017
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hinweis der Redaktion
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.
Hands-on activity: observing the sun.
KSO Kanzelhöhe, Austria
Solar Dynamics Observatory SDO (NASA)
SDO HMI Intensitygram - colored
SDO HMI Intensitygram – colored, high resolution
SDO AIA 304
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
Sources
NASA Science Visualization Studio: http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=10109
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOXVZo7KikE
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
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?
Insert the latest magnetogram from http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/assets/img/latest/latest_1024_HMIB.jpg
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