SDO Day 78: Just the CCD Facts, Ma'am

SDO has 10 CCDs, 8 inside the science instruments and 2 in the star trackers. The science CCDs operate at very low temperatures. The EVE CCDs are 2Kx2K pixels and operate at -100 C. The HMI and AIA CCDs are 4Kx4K and operate at about -70 C. HMI has 2 high-grade visible light CCDs while AIA and EVE treated their CCDs to make them more suitable for detecting extreme ultraviolet light. To cool a CCD we hook it to a radiator panel and keep the Sun off the panel. Thermal radiation leaving the panel is enough to send into space the small amount of heat generated by operating the CCD.

An example of how the Sun affects our satellite fleet happened on April 5, 2010. Unusually violent solar activity caused the Galaxy 15 satellite to stop responding to ground commands. A backup satellite is being moved into position and it is hoped that Galaxy 15 will be recovered.

SDO Day 76: Getting Ready for Science Data

SDO is moving toward becoming an operational science mission. The data will be available from several sites in a variety of formats. SDO scientists and engineers are working to set up those access points, but we won't be ready for regular data releases until mid-May.

Next step is the EVE calibration rocket, scheduled to fly on May 3, 2010 from the White Sands Missile Range.

Astronomy Picture of the Day - 2010 April 23

The March 30, 2010 solar prominence seen by SDO is the Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2010 April 23.
SDO: The Extreme Ultraviolet Sun

SDO Day 73: The End of Jitter Testing

Thursday marked the end of image quality jitter testing on SDO. For the past few days the observatory has spun reaction wheels, rotated high-gain antennas, and moved filter wheels. All this to see how each mechanism affected the staring at the Sun. All of the data must now be analyzed and our fine pointing refined to allow us to stare at the Sun.

This week also saw the isolation of the main engine. We no longer need the large thrust provided by the main engine and the pipes carrying fuel and oxidizer to it have been closed and sealed. Thanks for the lift!

SDO Day 72: First Light Data is Released

The principal investigators of the SDO science investigation teams, Philip Scherrer (HMI), Alan Title (AIA), and Tom Woods (EVE) joined Dean Pesnell and Lika Guharthakurta in an SDO First Light press conference yesterday at the Newseum in Washington, DC. The announcement has garnered a lot of press and many examples of those few solar events that saw fit to appear between March 30 and April 8 are now available. Here is an example from March 30, 2010, just after the AIA CCDs were allowed to cool. Such a lovely prominence eruption at 10 o'clock!

Congratulations to the SDO team members around the world for getting us to the beginning of the science mission.

SDO First Light news coverage

Here are some recent news articles written about SDO's First Light:

1. CNN - NASA unveils new images of the sun
   
   



2. 
   Popular Science - NASA Reveals Solar Dynamics Observatory's First Fiery Images
   
   



3. Space.com - 'Spectacular' First Images from New Solar Observatory Released



4. Wired - New Space Telescope Delivers First Mind-Blowing Video of the Sun



5. BBC News - Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory returns first images



6. KOLD News - New solar satellite now live, online



7. CBC News - NASA shows 1st images from solar observatory



8. Discovery News - Diving Deep into a Solar Prominence (SDO First Light) : Big Pic



9. 9 News Colorado - NASA shows 1st images from solar observatory



10. NASA Science News - First Light for the Solar Dynamics Observatory



11. Fox News - NASA Releases Stunning Images of the Sun



12. CBS News - NASA Solar Observatory Shines Spotlight on Sun



13. ABC News - NASA Shows 1st Images From Solar Observatory



14. National Geographic Pictures



15. Information Week - First HD Images Of The Sun Captured



16. MSNBC - 'Spectacular' sights come from solar probe



17. New Scientist - 'Rings of fire' erupt from sun in NASA probe's first videos



18. Scientific American - NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory producing sun science that doubles as eye candy



19. 20 Minuten Online - Hautnah an der Sonne



20. Astronomy Picture of the Day



21. Express - Staring at the Sun



22. Ciel et Espace - Le Soleil croqué par SDO



23. London Times - Sun is frozen in dazzling new detail



24. 20 minutos - Las espectaculares imágenes del Sol captadas por la sonda SDO



25. El Pais - Detalles del Sol en fotos de estreno



26. Milenio.com - NASA difunde fotos nunca antes vistas del sol



27. Informador.com - La NASA difunde espectaculares fotos del sol tomadas por sonda SDO



28. Peru 21 - Espectaculares imágenes del Sol



29. Index.hu - A Nap, ahogy még soha nem láttuk



30. Der Spiegel - The Sun's New Light



31. New York Times OpEd - View of the Sun



32. CNET - Stunning new images of the sun (photos)



33. Technology News World - NASA Observatory Sheds New Light on Sun



34. Guardian - Nasa probe sends home dazzling pictures of the sun

NASA, Newseum to Debut Images from Unique Solar Spacecraft

WASHINGTON -- NASA will hold a news briefing and unveil initial images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, or SDO, at 2:15 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 21, in the atrium of the Newseum. The Newseum is located at 555 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, in Washington. NASA Television and the agency's Web site will provide live coverage of the briefing.

Launched on Feb. 11, 2010, SDO is the most advanced spacecraft ever designed to study the sun and its dynamic behavior. The spacecraft will provide images with clarity ten times better than high definition television and more comprehensive science data faster than any solar observing spacecraft in history.


To read more on this media advisory, click here