[meteorite-list] SOHO Celebrates 20 Years of Discoveries

[Ron Baalke]

http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/SOHO_celebrates_20_years_of_discoveries

SOHO Celebrates 20 Years of Discoveries
European Space Agency
December 2, 2015

Originally planned for a two-year mission, the ESA-NASA Solar and Heliospheric 
Observatory, SOHO, is today celebrating two decades of scientific discovery.

Launched on 2 December 1995, the satellite enjoys an uninterrupted view 
of our star from some 1.5 million kilometres beyond Earth in the direction 
of the Sun.

Its numerous mission extensions have allowed it to cover nearly all of 
two 11-year solar cycles, making it the longest-lived Sun-watching satellite 
to date.

During its pioneering career it has returned a wealth of new information 
on the Sun's deep core through to the hot and dynamic outer atmosphere, 
the solar wind and solar energetic particles.

Crucially, SOHO is relied upon today to monitor the effect of space weather 
on our planet, and it plays a vital role in forecasting potentially dangerous 
solar storms. These storms are typically driven by coronal mass ejections, 
or CMEs, which propel billions of tonnes of electrified gas from the Sun 
into space at millions of kilometres per hour.

If Earth lies in the path of a CME our planet can be subjected to major 
geomagnetic storms, which may damage satellites, disrupt telecommunications, 
endanger astronauts and cause current surges in power lines.

SOHO has studied more than 20 000 coronal mass ejections to date, pinpointing 
their sources on the Earth-facing hemisphere of the Sun, and determining 
their speed and direction to provide up to three days' warning - sufficient 
to take action on Earth.

"SOHO is recognised as a unique resource that is critically important 
for space weather research and improved space weather predictions," 
says Bernhard Fleck, ESA's SOHO project scientist and mission manager.

"It helps us to understand CMEs and offers the unique ability to remotely 
sense the region of space that connects our star to our planet and to 
the Solar System."

In addition to investigating how the Sun works, SOHO is the most prolific 
discoverer of comets in astronomical history, with the destinies of more 
than 3000 tracked as these icy worlds endured fiery encounters with the 
Sun.

"I feel very fortunate to have worked on this fantastic mission for 
over 20 years, as part of a team of incredibly talented and dedicated 
engineers and scientists working in industry, NASA, ESA and at research 
labs and universities around the world," adds Bernhard.

"I tip my hat to all the engineers and scientists who designed and built 
this durable spacecraft and superb instruments, and to my colleagues who 
have operated them over all these years, analysed the data and taught 
us all the new science we learned from the measurements.

"We have had a fantastic ride, but it certainly isn't over yet."

Real-time images from SOHO are available here.

A new mission brochure celebrating SOHO's career can be read online 
here.

For more information, please contact:

Markus Bauer
ESA Science and Robotic Exploration Communication Officer
Tel: +31 71 565 6799
Mob: +31 61 594 3 954
Email: Markus.Bauer at esa.int

Bernhard Fleck
ESA SOHO Project Scientist
Email: bfleck at esa.nascom.nasa.gov