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The Scientific Importance of Studying Solar Flares
Artist's drawing of solar flares traveling away from the sun

The information in this video was accurate as of the original publication date.

 Audience: Educators and Students
Grades: 5-8
Year: 2002


This NASA video segment explains how the High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, or HESSI, satellite studies and monitors solar flares. Astrophysicist Dr. Michelle Larson explains what solar flares are, why HESSI's instrumentation needs to detect X-rays and gamma rays, and how data retrieved by the satellite is analyzed. The video also discusses the sun's 11-year cycle.

The Scientific Importance of Studying Solar Flares
Duration: 4 minutes 51 seconds
> View QuickTime [16MB]


This video clip is part of the NASA CONNECT™ Data Analysis and Measurement: Having a Solar Blast! DVD that may be ordered from the Central Operation of Resources for Educators, or CORE  →.


Other video learning clips in this series:
The Composition of the Sun
Understanding Sunspots and Solar Flares
Hands-on Solar Flare Activity
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