First Ever 3D Images of the Sun

Fascinating new 3D images of the sun have been release by Nasa, the US space agency today.

The new pictures are bound to attract the curiosity of even the occasional space follower.

The 3D pictures of the sun were taken by Nasa's "twin Stereo orbiters, which were launched in October. To create the full image data provided by the Stereo orbiters was combined.

The new images will be of great benefit to scientists looking to further understanding of the sun. They will also enable scientist to have a better understanding and formulate better predictions of "space weather."

The images were first shown to the press at a special press conference yesterday. To get the full effect of the images it is necessary to wear 3D glasses. According to Simon Plunkett, the scientist that discussed the impressive images with journalists, the reaction of the first on first seeing the images definitely had the "wow" factor.

Members of the public have plenty of opportunities to see these extraordinary images. It will be possible to view the images online and also at numerous science centers and museums around the US.

Both Stereo orbiters were needed to produce the 3D sun images. The orbiters were launched last October in such a way that one travelled slightly behind the other. The distance was specifically designed to work in a way similar to the human eye, allowing for depth perception. Both orbitors took images of the sun and the information was combined to create the 3D image.

Speaking about how these new images will help scientists make solar storm predictions was one of the creators of the Stereo project, Madhulika Guhathakurta. According to Guhathakurta it will now be possible to confirm previously estimated models on solar storms saying that the images "provide the observations needed to validate models."

Solar storms have a number of effects here on earth. When the sun solar storms throw around a billion tons of atmosphere from the sun into space. The atmosphere travels at a speed of 1 million miles per hour. These storms can cause problems with communications. One of the most fascinating and beautiful effects of these solar storms is the famed northern lights.

The Stereo project was jointly developed and run by the Applied Physic Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University and Nasa. Telescoped placed on the orbitors came from Secchi in Washington. The venture also has some international help from the UK. The special camera carried by the Stereo orbitors came from the UK.

A researcher for Secchi, from the Naval Research Laboratory, Russell Howard said the project has been a great success. He told the BBC that, "We saw filaments of plasma on the centre of the Sun's disc that has such fine strands that you would not have thought of them as being particularly unusual. Only when you them in 3D do these filaments - which connect two regions of opposite polarity - pop out at you."

Sources
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070423/D8OMJN580.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6584911.stm
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-04-23-voa56.cfm