By Jim Gerard, INSPIRE Education Specialist, KSC, FL
A solar storm could strike at any time an paralyze our nation by knocking out the electrical power grid and communication satellites we depend on. But don't worry! According to Dr. Sten Odenwald, an astronomer/mathematician from the Goddard Space Flight Center, we are developing tools and science to detect and counter the effects of such a storm. Dr. Odenwald presented to 83 members of the INSPIRE Online Learning Community at last evening's Live Chat. He led the participants through our current knowledge of the workings of the Sun's magnetosphere and how that interacts with the Sun' surface. That interaction produces events we refer to as 'space weather'. These events, such as flares and coronal mass ejections, can reach the Earth and cause an effect to its magnetic field. These effects range from the beautiful aurora found in the polar regions to dangerous electrical system malfunctions that could occur anywhere.
You can access the presentation in the Live Chat Archive or by clicking the Archive link from the Live Chat Room List. We offer the chat in three formats: an Elluminate file, a Quicktime video and an MP3 audio file. While the Elluminate file is available approximately 1 hour after the presentation concludes, the Quicktime and MP3 files will be posted on Monday morning. Students who view these archives are welcome to post questions for our speaker on the Discussion Board, and are eligible for 50 points by using the passcode (found at the end of the archive) to access the chat quiz.
Next week, we look at the events that have shaped NASA, as I myself will be your presenter to walk you down the timeline of NASA Milestones. This chat will be for 12th Grade students. See you then!
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