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NOAA's GOES-19 Captures Extended Images of the Sun's Atmosphere

November 19, 2024

NOAA recently unveiled the first images from the Compact Coronagraph (CCOR-1) and the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI), two advanced instruments onboard the GOES-19 satellite, which launched on June 25, 2024. These tools are set to revolutionize space weather monitoring and forecasting as they begin observing the sun and its influence on Earth.

On Sept. 19, 2024, CCOR-1, the world’s first dedicated operational space-based coronagraph, started monitoring the sun’s corona, the faint outermost layer of the solar atmosphere. Using an occulting disk to block the bright surface of the sun, CCOR-1 provides images of the corona every 15 minutes. This powerful telescope is designed to detect and analyze coronal mass ejections (CMEs)—massive bursts of solar plasma and magnetic fields that can significantly impact Earth's space environment. One of the first videos from CCOR-1 captured a well-defined CME, emphasizing the telescope's ability to study the interactions between solar explosions and the corona's plasma activity.

Since 1995, space weather experts have been relying on a research instrument called LASCO to view the sun's corona. The LASCO coronagraph was not designed to be used operationally for monitoring and forecasting solar activity.

The GOES-19 SUVI, which began observing the sun on Sept. 24, 2024, further enhances NOAA's space weather capabilities. By observing the sun in the extreme ultraviolet part of the spectrum, SUVI captures phenomena like flares and coronal loops, which are integral to understanding hazardous space weather. On Oct. 3, 2024, SUVI documented the most powerful solar flare of the current solar cycle, an X9 flare, showcasing the imager’s precision in detecting the strongest category of solar activity. The observations help scientists predict the severity of geomagnetic storms and issue warnings to minimize potential disruptions on Earth, including damage to satellites, impacts on power grids, and hazards to astronaut safety.

SUVI captures the Sun’s activity in six types of extreme ultraviolet light, each showing different temperatures, which correspond to different layers of the sun. However, during a special campaign called “Extended Coronal Imaging,” SUVI took images slightly off-center from the sun and focused on two specific wavelengths (171 Å and 195 Å). By doing this, scientists were able to create three-panel mosaic images. These mosaics provided a broader view of the sun’s middle corona, helping to connect the details in SUVI images with the new CCOR-1 coronagraph images.

NOAA’s geostationary satellites represent a significant leap forward in monitoring the sun’s behavior and predicting its effects on Earth. As GOES-19 undergoes post-launch testing before becoming NOAA’s operational GOES East satellite in spring 2025, its data should be considered preliminary and non-operational.

Once operational, the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) will use data from both CCOR-1 and SUVI to issue early warnings and improve the accuracy of forecasts, protecting vital infrastructure from space weather threats.

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