The Tipping Point for Solar and Space Scientists

摘要

Our society is witnessing an expansive era of discovery in our exploration of the cosmos. Robotic explorers have given us a detailed knowledge of Earth's space environment and its interaction with the sun, including the threat of space weather to the satellite technologies on which we are becoming increasingly dependent. For example, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, STEREO and IRIS missions have given researchers views of the sun's surface and atmosphere with unprecedented resolution, giving new insights into the causes and effects of solar eruptions. The recent THEMIS and Van Allen Probes missions have helped answer fundamental questions about radiation belts and geomagnetic storms, which can damage GPS satellites and electrical grids. Robotic probes have mapped the helio-sphere - the part of the galaxy dominated by the sun's influence - and we are now reaching beyond our solar system as the Voyager spacecraft moves into the uncharted realm of galactic space.