Living with a Star: A New Encounter with Our Dynamic Sun

Synopsis: A video recording of the BA Lord Kelvin Award Lecture 2005 given by Robert Walsh. The sun is vital for providing all the light, heat and energy required for life to have evolved on our planet. However, our closest star is far from a well-behaved, quiet neighbour. It is not simply a featureless, smooth ball, but changes dramatically over a period of about 11 years. Following a time of quietness, when there are few solar flares, our Sun begins to rage for 5 to 6 years, spewing out billions of tonnes of million degree, electrified gases into space. Then it is back to quietness again and the cycle repeats. Sometimes, these solar storms head our way, creating beautiful aurora (the northern lights), but they also have the capacity to knock out satellites, blow power transformers and increase the amount of radiation experienced by astronauts.
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Year of release: 2005
Year of production: 2005
Notes: A companion video recording LIVING WITH A STAR .. AN ENCOUNTER WITH ROBERT WALSH (13 mins) is also available on the ScienceLive website
Subjects: Astronomy
Keywords: solar phenomena; solar system; sun

URI: http://www.sciencelive.org/component/option,com_mediadb/task,view/idstr,CUSP-BAFOS05-06_RobertWalsh
Price: free
Delivery: Streamed

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