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2020-10-20

astr-1101

  • Parker Solar Probe presentation
    • Studying the Sun
      • Analyze the Corona and Solar winds
      • Why is the Corona hotter than the surface of the Sun?
      • Why are solar winds accelerating in the Corona?
    • Originally thought a probe could only reach the Sun with gravitational assist from Jupiter
    • Named after Eugene Parker
      • Shaped field of heliophysics
      • Theorized existence of solar winds
    • Designed and built at Johns Hopkins University
      • ~1.5 billion
    • Testing
      • Went through acoustic testing
        • 150 decibels
        • Tests to make sure launch sound won't damage the probe
      • Launched on a Delta IV Heavy rocket
      • Heat shield in thermal vacuum
        • Fluctuation of temperatures
        • 2500ËšF --> -320ËšF
        • Imitating airless vacuum of space
      • Purple gaze test
        • Lasers shot at the probe
        • Testing solar panels
          • Will stay electrically charged throughout the mission
      • Space environment testing
        • Simulation of the environment the probe will go through
        • Cools to -320ËšF
        • Lasts seven weeks
      • Faraday cup testing
        • Used IMAX projectors
        • Simulated the Sun
        • Could heat up to 1800ËšF
    • 400 thermocouples installed for monitoring
    • 6.2 million km away from the Sun
      • Closest any spacecraft has ever been
    • Magnetic switchbacks
    • Rotation of the solar wind
    • Dust free zone
      • 11.3 million km --> dust start decreasing
    • Recorded sounds of dust hitting the probe
    • Turbulence of solar wind
      • Is it a constant force?
  • Aurorae presentation
    • How auroras function
      • High energy particles from Sun --> collide with neutral particles in atmospheres
      • Sun's Corona --> outer space via solar wind --> Earth's magnetosphere
        • Corona --> outermost layer, hottest region
        • Magnetosphere --> region of space surrounding Earth where magnetic sphere is dominant
      • Coronal mass ejection
        • Release of plasma
        • Overpowers Earth's magnetosphere
    • Auroras on other planets
      • Jupiter
        • Only visible in infrared
        • Continuous
      • Saturn
        • Visible in ultraviolet
      • Mars
        • Visible in ultraviolet
    • Mythology
      • Aurora (Roman)
      • Eos (Greek)