astronomy

Solar Observing Optical Network

Solar Observing Optical Network is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Solar Observing Optical Network rather than just read about it. In short: The Solar Observing Optical Network (SOON) consists of three U.S. Air Force (USAF) Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) solar observatories.

Key takeaways

Solar Observing Optical Network belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Solar Observing Optical Network to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Solar Observing Optical Network from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Solar Observing Optical Network (SOON) consists of three U.S. Air Force (USAF) Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) solar observatories. AFWA operates a solar telescope at each site to monitor solar active regions at optical wavelengths. The National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) archives histograms of intensity versus area every minute for the active regions. It also archives magnetograms of the magnetic field structure and tachograms of plasma velocities on an irregular schedule. The SOON observatories are operated by detachments of AFWA's 2nd Weather Group at the following sites:

RAAF Learmonth, Western Australia, Australia 22.24180°S 114.08156°E / -22.24180; 114.08156 Holloman AFB, New Mexico, USA 32.83130°N 106.11646°W / 32.83130; -106.11646 San Vito dei Normanni Air Station, San Vito dei Normanni, Italy (contractor-run site) 40.64433°N 17.84262°E / 40.64433; 17.84262 Telescopes at Palehua, Hawaii and Ramey Air Force Base, Puerto Rico have been shut down. SOON Telescope History: The original SOON network was designed by Dr. Richard B. Dunn, a Harvard educated engineer/astrophysicist. Dr. Dunn commissioned the Tower Telescope (later designated the Dunn Solar Tower) on Sacramento Peak, Sunspot, NM in the late 60s. The SOON network of 5 solar telescopes was built at Sunspot for the USAF working with international partners at far flung sites. The Dunn Solar Tower at Sunspot, NM will potentially be idled when the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope, or DKIST, is commissioned on Maui.

There is an active Consolidated Repair Activity (CRA) based out of Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico which is operated by the 49th Communications Squadron. The CRA provides depot-level maintenance and support to the SOON program. The CRA also develops maintenance procedures, institutes physical (non-software) updates, and overhauls all three telescopes on a regular basis.

Description The basic SOON telescope is a 25 cm (9.8 in) evacuated refractor mounted on a polar axis. It has a tunable monochromatic filter centered on the hydrogen-alpha absorption line at 6,562.8 ångströms (656.28 nanometers) in the Sun's light spectrum. Shifting the filter's characteristics slightly away from the center of the H-alpha peak results in pictures of the solar surface region at differing depths. Corresponding to the optical images of solar regions are the digital "brightness-area" data. These data are often plotted as brightness-area histograms for a particular time or, in a 3-3-dimensional display, showing a time sequence of changing intensity of optical emissions from areas of solar active regions. The automatic capability of the SOON telescope system allows the rapid collection of this brightness-area information on many active regions on the sun. By using these data, quantitative measures can be determined, include instability, growth/decay rates, and precise dimensions for each active solar region.

Improved Solar Observing Optical Network The planned Improved Solar Observing Optical Network (ISOON) is intended to replace the current SOON network. As of 2012, ISOON only exists at a single pilot site on Kirtland Air Force Base.

See also Radio Solar Telescope Network Global Oscillation Network Group GOES Solar X-ray Imager Synoptic Optical Long-term Investigations of the Sun

References

External links USDOC/NOAA/NESDIS/National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) Home Page Space Weather Operations from the Air Force Weather Agency

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Solar Observing Optical Network

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Solar Observing Optical Network claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Solar Observing Optical Network before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Solar Observing Optical Network ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Solar Observing Optical Network

In research: Solar Observing Optical Network appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Solar Observing Optical Network in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Solar Observing Optical Network is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Solar observatories, Solar telescopes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Solar Observing Optical Network outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Solar Observing Optical Network in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Solar Observing Optical Network means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Solar Observing Optical Network out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Solar Observing Optical Network in simple terms?

The Solar Observing Optical Network (SOON) consists of three U.S. Air Force (USAF) Air Force Weather Agency (AFWA) solar observatories.

Why does Solar Observing Optical Network matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Solar Observing Optical Network?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Solar Observing Optical Network.