Comments on: That’s a Big Tsunami http://www.sundriesshack.com/2009/11/27/thats-a-big-tsunami/ Delivering the Best of the New Media Since 2004. Fri, 25 May 2012 23:17:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jimmiehttp://www.sundriesshack.com/2009/11/27/thats-a-big-tsunami/comment-page-1/#comment-687751 Jimmie Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:50:41 +0000 http://www.sundriesshack.com/?p=11100#comment-687751 Hrm....that's distressing. I didn't know that the satellites were still moving. I was under the (mistaken) impression that they were in a stable position. Hrm….that's distressing. I didn't know that the satellites were still moving. I was under the (mistaken) impression that they were in a stable position.

]]> By: Mr. Science Guyhttp://www.sundriesshack.com/2009/11/27/thats-a-big-tsunami/comment-page-1/#comment-687749 Mr. Science Guy Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:14:32 +0000 http://www.sundriesshack.com/?p=11100#comment-687749 True enough--but STEREO's mission life was only two years, and it's already at 37 months. The spacecraft have excellent chances of lasting longer...the design life is actually five years...but they're still moving away from Earth, and that means the coverage is gradually degrading, even if the telescopes continue working perfectly. When they get to the other side of the Sun, communications will be lost, regardless; we can't be sure of recontacting them, months later, when they reappear. So, yes, we can use them for early warning in the near future, but that time is more sharply limited than some existing spacecraft. Hopefully there will be follow-on missions, but that depends on the politicians. True enough–but STEREO's mission life was only two years, and it's already at 37 months. The spacecraft have excellent chances of lasting longer…the design life is actually five years…but they're still moving away from Earth, and that means the coverage is gradually degrading, even if the telescopes continue working perfectly. When they get to the other side of the Sun, communications will be lost, regardless; we can't be sure of recontacting them, months later, when they reappear.

So, yes, we can use them for early warning in the near future, but that time is more sharply limited than some existing spacecraft. Hopefully there will be follow-on missions, but that depends on the politicians.

]]> By: Jimmiehttp://www.sundriesshack.com/2009/11/27/thats-a-big-tsunami/comment-page-1/#comment-687739 Jimmie Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:13:51 +0000 http://www.sundriesshack.com/?p=11100#comment-687739 Why thank you! I wanted to make sure I had background for some of the big terms I had used (and since I needed to look up a couple of those links anyhow, for my own purposes, I figured I may as well share them). I know it's not supposed to be an EWS, but it certainly could be. From what I've seen, it would give us enough data to serve that purpose, almost incidentally. The one satellite we're using as a warning now has more than doubled its mission life. On that track record, we could probably use STEREO for that as well. Though I would certainly like to see terrestrial telescopes purposed for that as well. And searching for asteroids heading our way, too. Why thank you! I wanted to make sure I had background for some of the big terms I had used (and since I needed to look up a couple of those links anyhow, for my own purposes, I figured I may as well share them).

I know it's not supposed to be an EWS, but it certainly could be. From what I've seen, it would give us enough data to serve that purpose, almost incidentally. The one satellite we're using as a warning now has more than doubled its mission life. On that track record, we could probably use STEREO for that as well. Though I would certainly like to see terrestrial telescopes purposed for that as well.

And searching for asteroids heading our way, too.

]]> By: Mr. Science Guyhttp://www.sundriesshack.com/2009/11/27/thats-a-big-tsunami/comment-page-1/#comment-687738 Mr. Science Guy Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:40:32 +0000 http://www.sundriesshack.com/?p=11100#comment-687738 This is an impressively well linked post. :-) I'll just mention that STEREO isn't actually intended as an early warning system (or it would have required a longer mission life); the goal is to find what sort of activity happens <em>before</em> a CME; that's the first step to actually forecasting these events, possibly even just from terrestrial telescopes. This is an impressively well linked post. :-) I'll just mention that STEREO isn't actually intended as an early warning system (or it would have required a longer mission life); the goal is to find what sort of activity happens before a CME; that's the first step to actually forecasting these events, possibly even just from terrestrial telescopes.

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