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RJ Emery
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Whenever something interesting happens on the side of the sun that faces earth, is there any orbiting satellite that can simultaneously view the opposite side?
I was about to disagree with you until I read your link. Very interesting stuff.Chronos said:Hi RJEmery, welcome to PF! The answer to your question is yes, it's called SOHO.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060320_sun_farside.html
One of the purposes of SOHO is to warn us of any eruptions occurring on the far side of the sun. Satellites tend to be expensive as solar flare detectors. If you know one is threatening to rotate into view, the potential damage can be mitigated in many cases.
Chronos,Chronos said:The answer to your question is yes, it's called SOHO.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060320_sun_farside.html
Try http://helio.estec.esa.nl/Ulysses/" .RJ Emery said:[snip]
I am curious to know if its elliptical orbit, perpendicular to the equitorial plane and extending to the orbit of Jupiter, precesses along the zodiac. I am also curious about the orbit's eccentricity. Do you have any sources to answer those two questions?
Nereid,Nereid said:Try http://helio.estec.esa.nl/Ulysses/" .
While its scope is considerably broader than just 'driving the probes', "Voyager's Grand Tour", by Dethloff and Schorn gives a window into just what's involved, from a non-technical perspective. The book has a huge, huge bibliography, including material on the more technical aspects of 'how to get there' (if not back too).RJ Emery said:Nereid,
I'm afraid few web sources if any discuss orbital characteristics and dynamics of space probes. From what little I have been able to glean, I am amazed at how Ulysses, Cassini, Messenger and many others get to their destinations, and once there, how they are controlled and maneuvered to carry out their missions.
Nereid,Nereid said:While its scope is considerably broader than just 'driving the probes', "Voyager's Grand Tour", by Dethloff and Schorn gives a window into just what's involved, from a non-technical perspective. The book has a huge, huge bibliography, including material on the more technical aspects of 'how to get there' (if not back too).
I think you'll find some good material on the web on this - both technical and non-technical, starting with the mission pages of each probe (you will have to be patient though, too often the stuff you want doesn't come by simply clicking on a link with a nice name like 'interested layperson's guide to how {probe} got to {target}, its trajectory, orbit, etc'
Satellites are equipped with special instruments, such as telescopes and cameras, that are designed to capture images of objects in space. These instruments use different wavelengths of light to see through the sun's intense glare and capture images of the far side of the sun.
No, satellites are not always able to see the far side of the sun. The sun rotates on its axis, so the far side is constantly changing positions in relation to Earth. Satellites in geosynchronous orbit can only see the far side of the sun for a brief period of time each day.
The distance between a satellite and the far side of the sun varies, depending on the type of orbit it is in. Satellites in geosynchronous orbit are about 22,000 miles away from the far side of the sun, while satellites in lower orbits can be as close as 93 million miles away.
Satellites can capture images and collect data about the far side of the sun, including its magnetic field, solar flares, and other solar activity. This information helps scientists better understand the sun and its effects on Earth.
Studying the far side of the sun allows scientists to gain a more complete understanding of our sun and its behavior. This information can help us better predict and prepare for solar events that could potentially impact our technology and communications systems on Earth.