Using Solar Science to Inspire:

1
Using Solar Science to Inspire The Education and
Public Outreach Projects of the HMI Instrument
on SDO Deborah Scherrer, Stanford Solar Center
Solar exploration inspires students and the
public to gain a better understanding of the
Suns role in the Earths environment. New solar
discoveries also inspire innovative educational
efforts to communicate the results of these
explorations. The Helioseismic and Magnetic
Imager (HMI) instrument planned for NASAs Solar
Dynamics Observatory, to be launched in 2008,
supports an exciting E/PO program that addresses
formal education, informal education, and public
outreach.
Space Weather Monitors
Student Science Fellows
A collaboration with Stanfords Haas Center for
Public Service, Stanford Solar Center, and Dr.
Cherilynn Morrow to train undergraduate students
in communicating science to K-14 students and
the community. University undergraduates from
all fields are invited to participate. Our
program includes formal classroom training in
science education and communicating science,
service learning issues, National Science
Standards, science education reform, as well as
current solar science understanding Student
Science Fellows perform weekly ongoing outreach
to community-based education programs -- Boys and
Girls Clubs and local underserved school
districts.
The Space Weather Monitors are VLF receivers that
detect changes to the Earths ionosphere caused
by solar activity. Developed by teacher interns,
two versions of the monitor exist - one simple
and low-cost -- SID, and one research quality
--AWESOME.
We plan to place 100 SID and 15 AWESOME monitors
in under-served high schools and community
colleges.
IHY
The Space Weather monitors are being considered
by the United Nations as educational projects for
the International Heliophysical Year, 2007.
For more information on the Space Weather
Monitors, see http//solar-center.stanford.edu/SID
Solar Planetarium Program
AWESOME -- The research quality Monitor
SID The low-cost space weather monitor
Atmospheric Weather Educational System
for Observation and Modeling of Effects
Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance monitor
In collaboration with the Lawrence Hall of
Science and NASAs Living With a Star program, we
are creating a solar planetarium show for small,
interactive planetaria. Our show will feature
almost-full-dome projection of imagery and video
of the Sun and space weather.
Designed by Ray Mitchell, teacher intern
Developed in conjunction with Stanfords Space,
Telecommunications and Radioscience Laboratory
(Umran Inan, Morris Cohen, Justin Tan)

• Preassembled and pretuned
• Students build their own, simple antennas
• Data handled and plotted by Excel
• Changeable frequency boards tuned to particular
• VLF transmitters around the world
• Easy to set up and use
• Central data repository and communication site
• Targeted for use in high school and community
  colleges
• Low cost (150 per monitor)

• Designed to capture ELF/VLF frequencies, roughly
  30 Hz-50kHz
• Dual use system --
• Daytime monitor solar activity
• Nighttime monitor atmospheric phenomena
  such as lightning
• Precision timing/phase accuracy
• So sensitive that nearly any signal above the
  ambient Earth noise
• floor can be detected
• Broadband
• Preassembled easy to set up, use, and repair
• Data appropriate for high school as well as solar
  and ionospheric
• researchers
• Moderate cost (3000 per monitor)

The HMI E/PO program is implemented as part of
the Stanford SOLAR Center at Stanford University.

http//solar-center.stanford.edu
HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships HMI Education/Public Outreach Partnerships
Institution For AIA Student Involvement K-14 Curriculum Development Teacher Workshops Assessment Support Multimedia Development Distance Learning Support Distribution of Materials Access to Undeserved Public/ infomal education
Stanford X X X X X X X X X
LMSAL X X X X X X
Stanford-Haas X X X X X
MSU X X X X X X X X X
SAO X X X X X X X X X
The Tech Museum X X X X X
Chabot Space and Science Center X X X X X
Morrison Planetarium /CA Academy of Sciences X X X X
Lawrence Hall of Science X X X X X
IIISE X X
NASA-CORE X
AWESOME antenna in Elazig, Turkey