The Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) occupies part of the NOAA Mauna Loa research site located on the flank of Mauna Loa at an elevation of 3440 meters on the island of Hawaii. It is operated by the High Altitude Observatory, a division of the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is located in Boulder, Colorado.
Sun, Earth, Planet, Space, Atmosphere and Ocean–As our planet becomes one among many thousands of known worlds, our needs to understand how Earth’s space and climate react to our variable star grow in urgency.
Carolyn Jean Spellmann Shoemaker (June 24, 1929–August 13, 2021) was a well known female astronomer. She was a co-discoverer of the Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 and was credited with identifying 39 comets during her life time a number greater than any other individual at that time.
Charlotte Moore Sitterly (24 Sep 1898–3 Mar 1990) was an American born astronomer known for her substantial spectroscopic research of the sun and chemical elements. Her data tables, known for their reliability, are still relevant today and referenced regularly.
Natalia Nikolayevna Stepanian lived until age 87 and was the oldest researcher at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (CrAO) when she died following a long illness.
Earth’s equatorial ionosphere exhibits significant and unpredictable day-to-day variations in density and morphology. This presents difficulties in preparing for adverse impacts on technological systems even 24 hours in advance.
Understanding the magnitude and occurrence of solar storms is key to predicting events that can be harmful to thousands of Earth-orbiting satellites and the welfare of astronauts.
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