he China’s Xihe satellite has for the first time captured more than 300 spectral “slices” that correspond to the layers of the sun’s atmosphere. This advance has been made possible by technology similar to CT that allows this Reconstruct 3D images in less than a minuteIn this way, captured objects can be reconstructed in layers.
In an interview with the newspaper Global TimesThe mission’s chief scientist, Ding Mingde, says that “entire solar spectra of the disk at more than 300 wavelength points can be obtained simultaneously every 46 seconds,” because “in less than one minute 3D monitoring With more than 300 layers.
but, What does this discovery contribute? This achievement is important because most solar missions can only record one or two layers of the sun’s atmosphere at a time, or require combining data taken at different times. Thus, more than 300 heights of the sun’s disk were captured in seconds It allows you to follow how the disturbance spreads between layersBeing an essential process for understanding the origin of explosions and improving space weather forecasting that can affect electrical networks, communications and satellites.
Features of the Chinese Xihe satellite
Chinese satellite Xihe Ready for operation from 2021 in sun-synchronous orbitabout 517 kilometers from Earth. Since then, it has produced 1.2 petabit of scientific data because it is designed to obtain spectroscopic images of the Sun and collect unusual data for this type of space mission.
Regarding its operation, the instrument said It works as a magnetic levitation control system This reduces vibrations and, at the same time, uses a Doppler navigator based on sodium atomic lines that provide extremely accurate velocity measurements.
Thanks to its capabilities, Xihe is expected to work on two more missions: Xihe-2, for stereoscopic observation from the L5 point between the Sun and Earth, and Kuafu-2, a future polar solar observatory.
On the other hand, it is important to note that Xihe is part of the “Dual Ultra” beta program, which focuses on stability and high accuracy, and It cooperates with the solar missions of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Chinese satellite Kuafu-1In addition to exchanging data with research teams from 15 countries.