ROG: Join the hunt for solar storms

bystander · Post by **bystander** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:18 pm

Solar Stormwatch Asks Public for Help in Understanding the Sun
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich - 2010 Feb 23

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG), in partnership with the
Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton
Laboratory and Zooniverse are launching Solar Stormwatch, a new web
project where anyone can help spot and track solar storms and be
involved in the latest solar research.

The Sun is much more dynamic than it appears in our sky. Intense
magnetic fields churn and pummel the Sun’s atmosphere and they store
enormous amounts of energy that, when released, hurl billions of tons
of material out into space in explosions called Coronal Mass Ejections
(CMEs) -- or solar storms.

Solar Stormwatch volunteers can spot these storms and track their
progress across space towards the Earth. Such storms can be harmful to
astronauts in orbit and have the potential to knock out communication
satellites, disrupt mobile phone networks and damage power lines. With
the public’s help, Solar Stormwatch will allow solar scientists to
better understand these potentially dangerous storms and help to
forecast their arrival time at Earth.

bystander · Post by **bystander** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:22 pm

Public wanted for Stormwatch
Science & Technology Facilities Council, UK - 2010 Feb 22

Scientists launch Solar Stormwatch to ask public for help in understanding the sun

A new web project where anyone can help track solar storms and be involved in the latest solar research is being launched today, Tuesday 22 February 2010. Solar Stormwatch is a partnership between STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, The Royal Observatory, Greenwich (ROG) and Zooniverse, a network of online Citizen Science projects.

bystander · Post by **bystander** » Tue Feb 23, 2010 9:27 pm

Solar Stormwatch

Solar scientists need you!

Help them spot explosions on the Sun and track them across space to Earth. Your work will give astronauts an early warning if dangerous solar radiation is headed their way. And you could make a new scientific discovery.

geckzilla · Post by **geckzilla** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:08 am

I just read their email before coming here. It's probably best to hold off on this for a few days because they seem strapped for bandwidth (or perhaps server CPU?) because I'm having a heck of a time getting just one video to load from their newbie task, Spot.

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 2:49 pm

Their website
http://solarstormwatch.com/

wonderboy · Post by **wonderboy** » Thu May 06, 2010 1:15 pm

BMAONE23 wrote:Their website
http://solarstormwatch.com/

I love it, I feel like im working for NASA or something and doing my little bit to help the heroes in space.

Thanks

Paul.

Hofi · Post by **Hofi** » Sun May 09, 2010 1:24 pm

wonderboy wrote:I love it, I feel like im working for NASA or something and doing my little bit to help the heroes in space.

Many people do so. ... And you are! ... I like the Galaxy Zoo Hubble images best.

Something curious: When they started Galaxy Zoo some years ago, they got three minutes on BBC to present their project. They did not think that so many people would participate. So their server crashed and they got so many mails that google mail blocked their adress. The scientific project behind the "zoo" was a full sucess!

wonderboy · Post by **wonderboy** » Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:13 pm

The new galaxy zoo program regarding the moon (Moon Zoo) is now my favourite. I never thought sitting and marking sometimes over 60 craters and sizing them would be entertainment, but it bloomin well is.

Paul.

Starship Asterisk*