The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
| Mission Objectives |
To solve two important solar mysteries:
- What heats the sun's outermost layer
to millions of degrees Kelvin ( much hotter
than the underlying solar surface)?
- What causes the Sun's outer layer to blow
off into space (the Earth is in its pathway)?
This outflow is called the solar wind.
|
How Will It Do This? |
- Remotely sense the Sun's invisible outer
atmosphere
- Measure the solar wind as it blows by
|
Mission Description |
- joint venture of NASA and ESA
(European Space Agency)
- launched on December 2,1995
- uninterrupted view of the Sun for two years
from the L1 point (where the gravity
of the Sun and the Earth just cancel)
|