Multimedia Gallery - Visualization

Accurately Predicting The Sun's Corona

Solar physicist Zoran Mikic and colleagues in the Solar Physics Group at SAIC ran their solar model for four days on SDSC's DataStar supercomputer to compute the most accurate predictions to date of the sun's corona, a capability that can lead to better forecasting of space weather impacts on satellites, power grids, etc. Their predictions for the total solar eclipse on March 29th, 2006, allowing easier observations of the corona, show the simulated magnetic field lines in the solar corona (top right). Note the similarity to observations during the eclipse (center). Solar north is up.
Simulations: Solar Physics Group, SAIC. Observations: composite of Williams College Eclipse Expedition (NSF/NASA/National Geographic); and SOHO (NASA, ESA).
Source: San Diego Supercomputer Center, UC San Diego

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