For Further Exploration
Articles
Berman, B. “How Solar Storms Could Shut Down Earth.” Astronomy (September 2013): 22. Up-to-date review of how events on the Sun can hurt our civilization.
Frank, A. “Blowin’ in the Solar Wind.” Astronomy (October 1998): 60. On results from the SOHO spacecraft.
Holman, G. “The Mysterious Origins of Solar Flares.” Scientific American (April 2006): 38. New ideas involving magnetic reconnection and new observations of flares.
James, C. “Solar Forecast: Storm Ahead.” Sky & Telescope (July 2007): 24. Nice review on the effects of the Sun’s outbursts and on Earth and how we monitor “space weather.”
Schaefer, B. “Sunspots That Changed the World.” Sky & Telescope (April 1997): 34. Historical events connected with sunspots and solar activity.
Schrijver, C. and Title, A. “Today’s Science of the Sun.” Sky & Telescope (February 2001): 34; (March 2001): 34. Excellent reviews of recent results about the solar atmosphere.
Wadhwa, M. “Order from Chaos: Genesis Samples the Solar Wind.” Astronomy (October 2013): 54. On a satellite that returned samples of the Sun’s wind.
Websites
Dr. Sten Odenwald’s “Solar Storms” site: http://www.solarstorms.org/.
ESA/NASA’s Solar & Heliospheric Observatory: http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov. A satellite mission with a rich website to explore.
High Altitude Observatory Introduction to the Sun: https://www2.hao.ucar.edu/Education/sun-pictorial-introduction. For beginners.
NASA’s Solar Missions: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/missions/index.html. Good summary of the many satellites and missions NASA has.
NOAA Profile of Space Weather: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/u33/primer_2010_new.pdf. A primer.
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center Information Pages: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/education-and-outreach. Includes primers, videos, a curriculum and training modules.
Nova Sun Lab: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/lab/sun/. Videos, scientist profiles, a research challenge related to the active Sun from the PBS science program.
Space Weather: Storms on the Sun: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/images/u33/swx_booklet.pdf. An illustrated booklet from NOAA.
Stanford Solar Center: http://solar-center.stanford.edu/. An excellent site with information for students and teachers.
Apps
These can tell you and your students more about what’s happening on the Sun in real time.
NASA Space Weather: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gov.nasa.gsfc.iswa.NASASpaceWeatherApp.
Solaris Alpha: https://www.androidweather.net/download-solaris-alpha.html.
Videos
Journey into the Sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqKFQ7z0Nuk. 2010 KQED Quest TV Program mostly about the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft, its launch and capabilities, but with good general information on how the Sun works (12:24).
NASA | SDO: Three Years in Three Minutes–With Expert Commentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaCG0wAjJSY&src. Video of 3 years of observations of the Sun by the Solar Dynamics Observatory made into a speeded up movie, with commentary by solar physicist Alex Young (5:03).
Our Explosive Sun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI6YGSIJqrE. Video of a 2011 public lecture in the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series by Dr. Thomas Berger about solar activity and recent satellite missions to observe and understand it (1:20:22).
Space Weather Impacts: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/education-and-outreach. Video from NOAA (2:47); https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBdd8cMH5jFmvVR2sZubIUzBO6JI0Pvx0. Videos from the National Weather Service (four short videos) (14:41).
Space Weather: Storms on the Sun: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWsmp4o-qVg. Science bulletin from the American Museum of Natural History, giving the background to what happens on the Sun to cause space weather (6:10).
Sunspot Group AR 2339 Crosses the Sun: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150629.html. Short video (with music) animates Solar Dynamics Observatory images of an especially large sunspot group going across the Sun’s face (1:15).
What Happens on the Sun Doesn’t Stay on the Sun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg_gD2-ujCk. From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: introduction to the Sun, space weather, its effects, and how we monitor it (4:56).
