Related papers: Why every observatory needs a disco ball
The record of solar activity is reviewed here with emphasis on peculiarities. Since sunspot positions tell us a lot more about the solar dynamo than the various global sunspot numbers, we first focus on the records of telescopic…
Observational astrophysics uses sophisticated technology to collect and measure electromagnetic and other radiation from beyond the Earth. Modern observatories produce large, complex datasets and extracting the maximum possible information…
The National Academy Committee on Astrobiology and Planetary Science (CAPS) made a recommendation to study a large/medium-class dedicated space telescope for planetary science, going beyond the Discovery-class dedicated planetary space…
Main sequence stars, like the Sun, are often found to be orbited by circumstellar material that can be categorized into two groups, planets and debris. The latter is made up of asteroids and comets, as well as the dust and gas derived from…
A sunset over the sea surface offers the possibility to chronometrate a solar transit across the horizon. The vertical solar diameter is proportional to the duration of the sunset, the cosine of the azimuth and the cosine of the latitude of…
Sunspots are of basic interest in the study of the Sun. Their relevance ranges from them being an activity indicator of magnetic fields to being the place where coronal mass ejections and flares erupt. They are therefore also an important…
We study the potential benefits of an iodine-based solar-neutrino detector for testing hypotheses that involve neutrino oscillations. We argue that such a detector will have a good chance of distinguishing the two allowed regions of $\Delta…
This review provides an introduction to the generation and evolution of the Sun's magnetic field, summarising both observational evidence and theoretical models. The eleven year solar cycle, which is well known from a variety of observed…
It is shown that the description of the solar cycle that takes into account the odd zonal harmonic of the solar magnetic field allows us to deepen our knowledge of two important aspects of the solar activity. First, to clarify and expand…
With recent missions such as advanced space-based observatories like the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and Parker Solar Probe, and ground-based telescopes like the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST), the volume, velocity, and…
For the last few decades the study of disks around stars young and old and of different types have progressed significantly. During the same time a completely new discipline, the study of exoplanets, planets orbiting stars other than our…
The Debris Disk Explorer (DDX) is a proposed balloon-borne investigation of debris disks around nearby stars. Debris disks are analogs of the Asteroid Belt (mainly rocky) and Kuiper Belt (mainly icy) in our Solar System. DDX will measure…
There is a desire to observe the sun's poles to further deepen our understanding of solar activity. However, because of the large speeds needed to perform out-of-ecliptic plane maneuvers, chemical and electric rocket propulsion mechanisms…
Using the convolution of seeing and diffraction, the relation between seeing and aperture in the visibility of sunspots is explored. It is shown that even telescopes with apertures smaller than 5 centimetres are significantly affected by…
Long-term observational data have information on the magnetic cycles of active stars and that of the Sun. The changes in the activity of our central star have basic effects on Earth, like variations in the global climate. Therefore…
Pulsars are fantastic objects, which show the extreme states of matters and plasma physics not understood yet. Pulsars can be used as probes for the detection of interstellar medium and even the gravitational waves. Here I review the basic…
Observations of the Sun and of Sun-like stars provide access to different aspects of stellar magnetic activity that, when combined, help us piece together a more comprehensive picture than can be achieved from only the solar or the stellar…
Our knowledge of the Sun, its atmosphere, long term activity and space weather potential is severely limited by the lack of good observations of the polar and far-side regions. Observations from a polar vantage point would revolutionize our…
Ejections from the Sun can be observed with a higher resolution than in any other astrophysical object: can we build up on solar results and apply them to astrophysical objects? Aim of this work is to establish whether there is any analogy…
The solar diameter changes or not? Whatever will be the answer the methods used for its measurements are more and more challenging, and facing new astrophysical and optical problems since the required space resolution is of astrometric…