Comments on: NASA to Probe Sun “in situ”

By: Daily Blogger - Friday, June 13th, 2008 | Jack’s Newswatch

Daily Blogger - Friday, June 13th, 2008 | Jack’s Newswatch — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:30:55 +0000

[...] Watts Up With That | NASA to Probe Sun “in situ” [...]

By: Gary Gulrud

Gary Gulrud — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:57:18 +0000

Maybe with some hard corona data we can put the TSI goblins in the closet while the Solar Wind fascinates the heliophysicists. I’d think after their cycle 24 debacle, they’ll be happy to redirect our gaze!

By: moniqueth3intern

moniqueth3intern — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:45:55 +0000

It sound as if they are saying a trillion dollars for a test., a lot of ifs and don’t knows.

By: Andrew Upson

Andrew Upson — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:29:35 +0000

Cool. Wonder who will build the bus? I’ll have to call my buddies at my previous employer to see if they’ll be getting in that action.

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:49:17 +0000

Mystery #1 is claimed to be a pinch by some plasma theorists – not without what looks to me like some pretty good backup.

There is a hell of a lot we don’t know about the sun. If the coronal temps are from a pinch there is not only a lot we don’t know, but a lot of what we think we know is wrong.

By: philw1776

philw1776 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:35:11 +0000

My advice to NASA, go at night.
Seriously, this is a good scientific enterprise. Amazing how little we do know about the closest star. Hope I’m still here post 2015 to see the results.

By: Russ

Russ — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:22:38 +0000

I am glad that I don’t have to certify the radiation hardness of the electronics that we be on board. Now that I think about it, I might get to do some of that testing. It should be a real challenge.

By: Leon Brozyna

Leon Brozyna — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:09:04 +0000

With a launch in 2015, it should be interesting to see if the probe is examining the sun as it moves from SC24 to SC25, or if it is peering at a relatively quiescent body, a possibility raised in that Livingston/Penn paper in a previous post:
http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/livingston-and-penn-paper-sunspots-may-vanish-by-2015/
At least this is one idea that can be measured against reality in fairly short order, unlike climate models whose forecasts are for a time when most everyone will be dead.

By: Steve Stip

Steve Stip — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:29:11 +0000

Very fine! I am surprised that they do not use a grazing incidence shield/ solar panels. This might allow even closer approach. What am i missing, thems with brains?

By: kim

kim — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:19:49 +0000

I wonder where the reporter got that 2015 would be near the end of solar cycle 24?

Hathaway, whom I’m beginning to wonder about has weighed in claiming that the sun ‘probably causes 10-30 percent of climate change’. What does he know?
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By: Tregonsee

Tregonsee — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:09:00 +0000

I am reminded of the story of the Polish Space Agency announcing that they are going to land on the sun. A reporter asks how they will keep from burning up. The project leader replies that they will land at night.