Solar Flare Surprise

Dec. 15, 2008: Solar flares are the most powerful explosions in the solar system. Packing a punch equal to a hundred million hydrogen bombs, they obliterate everything in their immediate vicinity. Not a single atom should remain intact.
At least that's how it's supposed to work.
"We've detected a stream of perfectly intact hydrogen atoms shooting out of an X-class solar flare," says Richard Mewaldt of Caltech. "What a surprise! These atoms could be telling us something new about what happens inside flares."

Above: The X9-class solar flare of Dec. 5, 2006, observed by the Solar X-Ray Imager aboard NOAA's GOES-13 satellite.
The event occurred on Dec. 5, 2006. A large sunspot rounded the sun's eastern limb and with little warning it exploded. On the "Richter scale" of flares, which ranks X1 as a big event, the blast registered X9, making it one of the strongest flares of the past 30 years.
NASA managers braced themselves. Such a ferocious blast usually produces a blizzard of high-energy particles dangerous to both satellites and astronauts. Indeed, moments after the explosion, radio emissions from a shock wave in the sun's atmosphere signaled that a swarm of particles was on its way.
An hour later they arrived. But they were not the particles researchers expected.
NASA's twin STEREO spacecraft made the discovery: "It was a burst of hydrogen atoms," says Mewaldt. "No other elements were present, not even helium (the sun's second most abundant atomic species). Pure hydrogen streamed past the spacecraft for a full 90 minutes."
Next came more than 30 minutes of quiet. The burst subsided and STEREO's particle counters returned to low levels. The event seemed to be over when a second wave of particles enveloped the spacecraft. These were the "broken atoms" that flares are supposed to produce—protons and heavier ions such as helium, oxygen and iron. "Better late than never," he says.

Above: STEREO particle counts on Dec. 5, 2006. The vertical axis measures the angle to the sun. Note how the initial hydrogen burst arrived from a narrow angle while the ions that followed swarmed in from all directions. The "swarming action" is a result of deflections by the sun's magnetic field--a force not felt by the neutral hydrogen.
At first, this unprecedented sequence of events baffled scientists, but now Mewaldt and colleagues believe they're getting to the bottom of the mystery.
First, how did the hydrogen atoms resist destruction?
"They didn't," says Mewaldt. "We believe they began their journey to Earth in pieces, as protons and electrons. Before they escaped the sun’s atmosphere, however, some of the protons recaptured an electron, forming intact hydrogen atoms. The atoms left the sun in a fast, straight shot before they could be broken apart again." (For experts: The team believes the electrons were recaptured by some combination of radiative recombination and charge exchange.)
Second, what delayed the ions?
"Simple," says Mewaldt. "Ions are electrically charged and they feel the sun's magnetic field. Solar magnetism deflects ions and slows their progress to Earth. Hydrogen atoms, on the other hand, are electrically neutral. They can shoot straight out of the sun without magnetic interference."
Imagine two runners dashing for the finish line. One (the ion) is forced to run in a zig-zag pattern with zigs and zags as wide as the orbit of Mars. The other (the hydrogen atom) runs in a straight line. Who's going to win?
"The hydrogen atoms reached Earth two hours before the ions," says Mewaldt.
Mewaldt believes that all strong flares might emit hydrogen bursts, but they simply haven't been noticed before. He's looking forward to more X-flares now that the two STEREO spacecraft are widely separated on nearly opposite sides of the Sun. (In 2006 they were still together near Earth.) STEREO-A and –B may be able to triangulate future bursts and pinpoint the source of the hydrogen. This would allow the team to test their ideas about the surprising phenomenon.
"All we need now," he says, "is some solar activity."
For more information about this research, look for the article "STEREO Observations of Energetic Neutral Atoms during the 5 December 2006 Solar Flare" by R. A. Mewaldt et al, in a future issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Solar Eclipse Preview : 2001 - 2020

Diamond Ring Effect

The diamond ring effect is seen during the Total Solar Eclipse of 1991 July 11.
Solar Eclipse Preview: 2001 - 2020
Fred Espenak (c) 2007
Introduction
An eclipse of the Sun (or solar eclipse) can only occur at New Moon when the Moon passes between Earth and Sun. If the Moon's shadow falls upon Earth's surface, we see some portion of the Sun's disk covered or 'eclipsed' by the Moon. Since New Moon occurs every 29 1/2 days, you might think that we should have a solar eclipse about once a month. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen because the Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted 5 degrees to Earth's orbit around the Sun. As a result, the Moon's shadow usually misses Earth as it passes above or below our planet at New Moon. At lease twice each year, the geometry lines up just right so that an eclipse of the Sun is seen from some part of Earth.
The Moon's shadow has three parts two of which are nested inside the third. The faint outer shadow is the penumbra. Partial eclipses are visible inside the penumbral shadow. The dark inner shadow is the umbra. Total eclipses are seen in the umbral shadow. The umbra is cone-shaped and narrows to a point. Extending beyond the umbra is the antumbra.
There are four types of solar eclipses:
Partial - Moon's penumbral shadow traverses Earth (umbral and antumbral shadows completely miss Earth)
Annular - Moon's antumbral shadow traverses Earth (Moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun)
Total - Moon's umbral shadow traverses Earth (Moon is close enough to Earth to completely cover the Sun)
Hybrid - Moon's umbral and antumbral shadows traverse Earth (eclipse appears annular and total along different sections of its path). Hybrid eclipses are also known as annular-total eclipses.
The number of solar eclipses in a single year can range from 2 to 5. Nearly 3/4 of the time there are 2 eclipses in a year. On the other hand, it is quite rare to have 5 solar eclipse in a single year. The last time it happened was in 1935 and the next time is 2206.
For a complete introduction to this subject, see: Solar Eclipses For Beginners.
2006 Total Solar Eclipse This Baily's Beads sequence shows both 2nd and 3rd Contact.
Solar Eclipses: 2001 - 2020
The table below lists every solar eclipse from 2001 through 2020. Click on the eclipse Calendar Date to see a global map showing where the eclipse is visible from. The Eclipse Type link opens a window showing the path of total and annular eclipses plotted on Google Maps. The Eclipse Magnitude is the fraction of the Sun's diameter covered by the Moon at greatest eclipse. For total and annular eclipses, this value is actually the ratio of the apparent diameters of the Moon to the Sun. The Central Duration lists the duration of totality or annularity at greatest eclipse. The link produces a table of geographic coordinates of the eclipse path. The last column is a brief description of the geographic regions of eclipse visibility. The descriptions are for the partial phases of each eclipse. Annular and total eclipses are only visible from the regions in bold.
Eclipses of the Sun: 2001 - 2020
Calendar Date
Eclipse Type
Eclipse Magnitude
Central Duration
Geographic Region of Eclipse Visibility







2001 Jun 21
Total
1.050
04m57s
e S. America, Africa [Total: s Atlantic, s Africa, Madagascar]

2001 Dec 14
Annular
0.968
03m53s
N. & C. America, nw S. America [Annular: c Pacific, Costa Rica]

2002 Jun 10
Annular
0.996
00m23s
e Asia, Australia, w N. America [Annular: n Pacific, w Mexico]

2002 Dec 04
Total
1.024
02m04s
s Africa, Antarctica, Indonesia, Australia [Total: s Africa, s Indian, s Australia]

2003 May 31
Annular
0.938
03m37s
Europe, Asia, nw N. America [Annular: Iceland, Greenland]

2003 Nov 23
Total
1.038
01m57s
Australia, N. Z., Antarctica, s S. America [Total: Antarctica]

2004 Apr 19
Partial
0.737
-
Antarctica, s Africa

2004 Oct 14
Partial
0.928
-
ne Asia, Hawaii, Alaska

2005 Apr 08
Hybrid
1.007
00m42s
N. Zealand, N. & S. America [Hybrid: s Pacific, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela]

2005 Oct 03
Annular
0.958
04m32s
Europe, Africa, s Asia [Annular: Portugal, Spain, Libia, Sudan, Kenya]

2006 Mar 29
Total
1.052
04m07s
Africa, Europe, w Asia [Total: c Africa, Turkey, Russia]

2006 Sep 22
Annular
0.935
07m09s
S. America, w Africa, Antarctica [Annular: Guyana, Suriname, F. Guiana, s Atlantic]

2007 Mar 19
Partial
0.876
-
Asia, Alaska

2007 Sep 11
Partial
0.751
-
S. America, Antarctica

2008 Feb 07
Annular
0.965
02m12s
Antarctica, e Australia, N. Zealand [Annular: Antarctica]

2008 Aug 01
Total
1.039
02m27s
ne N. America, Europe, Asia [Total: n Canada, Greenland, Siberia, Mongolia, China]

2009 Jan 26
Annular
0.928
07m54s
s Africa, Antarctica, se Asia, Australia [Annular: s Indian, Sumatra, Borneo]

2009 Jul 22
Total
1.080
06m39s
e Asia, Pacific Ocean, Hawaii [Total: India, Nepal, China, c Pacific]

2010 Jan 15
Annular
0.919
11m08s
Africa, Asia [Annular: c Africa, India, Malymar, China]

2010 Jul 11
Total
1.058
05m20s
s S. America [Total: s Pacific, Easter Is., Chile, Argentina]

2011 Jan 04
Partial
0.858
-
Europe, Africa, c Asia

2011 Jun 01
Partial
0.601
-
e Asia, n N. America, Iceland

2011 Jul 01
Partial
0.097
-
s Indian Ocean

2011 Nov 25
Partial
0.905
-
s Africa, Antarctica, Tasmania, N.Z.

2012 May 20
Annular
0.944
05m46s
Asia, Pacific, N. America [Annular: China, Japan, Pacific, w U.S.]

2012 Nov 13
Total
1.050
04m02s
Australia, N.Z., s Pacific, s S. America [Total: n Australia, s Pacific]

2013 May 10
Annular
0.954
06m03s
Australia, N.Z., c Pacific [Annular: n Australia, Solomon Is., c Pacific]

2013 Nov 03
Hybrid
1.016
01m40s
e Americas, s Europe, Africa [Hybid: Atlantic, c Africa]

2014 Apr 29
Annular
0.987
-
s Indian, Australia, Antarctica [Annular: Antarctica]

2014 Oct 23
Partial
0.811
-
n Pacific, N. America

2015 Mar 20
Total
1.045
02m47s
Iceland, Europe, n Africa, n Asia [Total: n Atlantic, Faeroe Is, Svalbard]

2015 Sep 13
Partial
0.787
-
s Africa, s Indian, Antarctica

2016 Mar 09
Total
1.045
04m09s
e Asia, Australia, Pacific [Total: Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Pacific]

2016 Sep 01
Annular
0.974
03m06s
Africa, Indian Ocean [Annular: Atlantic, c Africa, Madagascar, Indian]

2017 Feb 26
Annular
0.992
00m44s
s S. America, Atlantic, Africa, Antarctica [Annular: Pacific, Chile, Argentina, Atlantic, Africa]

2017 Aug 21
Total
1.031
02m40s
N. America, n S. America [Total: n Pacific, U.S., s Atlantic]

2018 Feb 15
Partial
0.599
-
Antarctica, s S. America

2018 Jul 13
Partial
0.337
-
s Australia

2018 Aug 11
Partial
0.737
-
n Europe, ne Asia

2019 Jan 06
Partial
0.715
-
ne Asia, n Pacific

2019 Jul 02
Total
1.046
04m33s
s Pacific, S. America [Total: s Pacific, Chile, Argentina]

2019 Dec 26
Annular
0.970
03m40s
Asia, Australia [Annular: Saudi Arabia, India, Sumatra, Borneo]

2020 Jun 21
Annular
0.994
00m38s
Africa, se Europe, Asia [Annular: c Africa, s Asia, China, Pacific]

2020 Dec 14
Total
1.025
02m10s
Pacific, s S. America, Antarctica [Total: s Pacific, Chile, Argentina, s Atlantic]

Geographic abbreviations (used above): n = north, s = south, e = east, w = west, c = central
The last total solar eclipse visible from the continental U.S.A. occured on Feb. 26, 1979. A total solar eclipse was visible from Hawaii and Mexico on July 11, 1991. The next two total solar eclipses visible from the U.S.A. occur on Aug. 21, 2017 and Apr. 8, 2024.
The partial and annular phases of eclipses are dangerous to look at because the un-eclipsed part of the Sun is still very bright. You must use special filters or a home-made pinhole projector to safely watch a partial or annular eclipse of the Sun (see: Observing Solar Eclipses Safely). It is only during the total phase of a total eclipse that it is completely safe the to view the Sun with the naked eye.
Total Solar Eclipse of 2006 This sequence captures the entire eclipse from start to finish.
Eclipse Resources
Solar Eclipse Maps
o Table and Maps of Solar Eclipses: 2001-2020
o Table and Maps of Solar Eclipses: 2021-2030
o Table and Maps of Solar Eclipses: 2031-2040
o World Atlas Solar Eclipses
o World Map of Total Solar Eclipses: 2001-2025
o World Map of Annular Solar Eclipses: 2001-2025
o Maps of Annular and Total Solar Eclipses in North America: 1851-2100
Solar Eclipse Predictions
o Five Millennium Catalog of Solar Eclipses: 2000 BCE to 3000 CE
o Ten Millennium Catalog of Long Solar Eclipses: 4000 BCE to 6000 CE
o Solar Eclipses of Historic Interest
Solar Eclipse Photography
o Photographing Solar Eclipses
o Exposure Table for Solar Eclipse Photography
o Videotaping Solar Eclipses
Solar Eclipse Photographs
o Solar Eclipses: Photograph Index
o Solar Eclipse Galleries: 1970 - 1984 1990 - 1994 1995 - 1999
o 1991 Total Solar Eclipse: Gallery A Gallery B
o 1998 Total Solar Eclipse: Gallery A Gallery B
o 1999 Total Solar Eclipse: Gallery A Gallery B Gallery C Gallery D
o 2001 Total Solar Eclipse: Gallery A Gallery B
o 2005 Total Solar Eclipse: Gallery A Gallery B
o 2005 Annular Solar Eclipse: Gallery A Gallery B
o 2006 Total Solar Eclipse: Gallery A Gallery B Gallery C Gallery D Gallery E
Solar Eclipses and Eye Safety
o Observing Solar Eclipses Safely - Totality
o Solar Eclipses and Eye Safety - Ralph Chou
o Solar Eclipses and Eye Safety - Fred Espenak
o Sources for Solar Filters - Totality
Other Links
o Solar Eclipses For Beginners
o Lunar Eclipses For Beginners
o Index to Eclipse and Astronomy Photographs
Copyright Notice
All photographs, text and web pages are © Copyright 2007 by Fred Espenak, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. They may not be reproduced, published, copied or transmitted in any form, including electronically on the Internet or WWW, without written permission of the author. The photos have been digitally watermarked.
The photographs may be licensed for commercial, editorial, and educational use. Contact Espenak (at MrEclipse) for photo use in print, web, video, CD and all other media.
Return to: MrEclipse Main Page
WebMaster: DRAGON X SPACE AGENCYLast revised: 2008 Feb 11

Comet Lulin 2009

by Malaysia Space Agency

IMAGE OF COMET LULIN

HOW TO SEE COMET LULIN???
By using our naked eye, binocular and telescope, we can see the comet in space. The comet with a green soft tail is flying across our Earth, it also the way to planet Saturn. For looking the COMET LULIN, we must find the LEO first. Then the Saturn is below the LEO. Near the Saturn, we can see the green comet flying in its orbit to Saturn.


COMMENT OF COMET LULIN (24.02.2009)

BY LAWSON LAW
It is so beautiful; I was touched and barely cry. (I saw a comet for the first time)

BY LIEW CHOON RAY
It is very beautiful; the color is very special. (I saw this for the first time)

BY CHARLES OOI
Sorry, I don’t know…… But I think that thing will be very beautiful!!! Ha-ha……

BY DANIEL CHUA
S RRY! I didn’t see! So I don’t know how beautiful it is.

BY WILLIAM CHOOK
Oh, I didn’t see! Did you know a comet that’s appearing 76 years once? It’s very beautiful!!! It has many colors, very-very beautiful! When it appears, it is very fast past that you cannot see! He! He!

BY STORM
It is difficult to see that night. In the clearly sky, I should find the Saturn (It is below the Leo) that I only can see a green comet with a soft tail at it’s back approached Earth. It is very perfect. (I saw it for my first time in my life)

BY CHONG FUN SEONG
Sorry! I didn’t see, so I don’t know how beautiful it is! Sorry.

BY BRENDON TEO
It is very beautiful still I cannot imagine it. (I saw it for my first time in my life)

BY EDDIE CHUA
The comet approached Earth!!!? I don’t know so I didn’t see (Nothing to comment) but I think the green comet is very beautiful!! He! He!

BY TAN BAN HOCK
COMET LULIN!?! Talking about comet, I remember that my brother and I used to stay up to look at HYAKUTAKE COMET when it came by back in 1992 or1993.

BY TAN BAN CHENG
It is very difficult to look at COMET LULIN that approached Earth at 24 February 2009 before dawn. My son and I used to stay up to see the green comet in the sky. I also remember that I looked at HYAKUTAKE COMET with my brother too in 1992 or 1993.

BY TIUM YEAN YEAN
I am not interested about space so I didn’t see (No comment)

BY TAN YING YEE
Although I am not interested about sciences and space, but talking about the comet that approached Earth, I will never missed it once. It is so beautiful when I saw it flew across the sky. I had imagined that I had touched it soft tail with my hands. (It was the happiness time in my life)

BY TAN YING XIN
Although I am small and don’t know about the comet, but the beautiful of the comet had interested me. (I feel very-very……happy)

BY EMILIA CHUA
I was shocked for a while after my cousin told me that I had missed a comet at 24 February 2009. I feel disappointed because I had missed my chance to look for a comet. But it was too late to chase it back.

BY RYAN LIM
Sorry don’t know……Yesterday I watched Football……Don’t know……

BY SHEH CHUN MING
I feel it is very beautiful. I think it is special. I only see at internet.

BY TAN YING RU
Sorry, I haven’t seen the comet yet! But I think it will be very beautiful and also interested.

BY TAN SUE YEEN
Sorry, because I didn’t interested about sciences and didn’t care about it. But I feel that it must be very beautiful right? Bye!

BY CHONG WEI CHENG
Yesterday, I had no time to see it, I was so disappointed. But never mine, next time I can see it.

BY TEOH JOO FONG
Did not see it but i think its nice.
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WORDS BY MANAGER OF DRAGONX SPACE AGENCY :

I think that the comet lulin is the most beautiful , the most speacial comet in the galaxy. The news of Comet Lulin approached the Earth comes very quickly to our life.Almost half of the peoples in the world that missed out their chances to look at the comet at 24 February 2009, 0100 am, before dawn. And luckily to the peoples that looked at the comet on that day when it approached the Earth. Finnaly, I wanted to announce is the day that we can see the Mercury in the evening. For more information , please log in to www.dragonx2007.blogspot.com