[HCARC] Tech Corner for May - references

[Kerry Sandstrom]

Hi Guys,

Here are the web sites I use:

www.SolarMonitor.org

www.lmsal.com/solarsoft/last_events

www2.hao.ucar.edu/mlso/mlso-home-page

sidc.oma.be

umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/newsite/images.html

www.txarmymars.org/resources/solarweather.php

I usually start with the TX Army MARS site as it includes most of the 
data I use from several sites.  The SIDC site has sunspot drawings and 
often a short article on some aspect of solar activity.  It is located 
in Belgium.  The NASA site is where I get the 171 and 304 Angstrom 
images as well as the magnetic field image and the visible image.  The 
images on this site are all from a satellite.  Most of these spectral 
lines can't get through our atmosphere.  The MLSO site is Muana Loa in 
HI.  That is where I get the H-alpha images.  I usually go to the GONG 
H-alpha area and that lets me see the latest images from whichever sites 
are currently seeing the sun.  There are sites from Australia, HI, 
Spain, Chile, CA, etc.  Almost always someone has a clear view of the 
sun.  One choice is to see a "movie" of a period of time when events 
occurred.  The Solar Soft site is Lockheed-Martin.  The main thing I get 
hear is a list of recent flares although there is a lot of other 
interesting data here.  The Solar Monitor site has a lot of images and 
other data that is from other sites.  It is a different presentation of 
the data.

A couple cautions - the sunspot plots are reversed relative to the 
images.  I guess it is historical.  The sunspot plot guys try to make 
their data compatible with the sunspot observations of a hundred or more 
years ago.  They use small telescopes and don't use the magnetic field 
data to classify the groups.  I don't use the sunspot plots much 
myself.  Better data is available.  You will see lots of mentions of 
CME's (Coronal Mass Ejections).  Most of what gets ejected is protons.  
The solar wind is primarily protons and is hitting us all the time.  
There are about a thousand CME's a year on average.  During periods of 
high solar activity there are more and during low periods there are 
less.  Only a very small percentage actually hit the earth and of those 
most have very minor effects.  a CME is nothing to really be concerned 
about.

If you have any questions, send me an e-mail.  I enjoyed talking to you 
all about the sun and propagation and perhaps we can have a follow on 
session if you would like.

Kerry