Podcaster: Rob Sparks
Title: The STARA Sunspot Detection Catalog
Links: www.noao.edu ; http://www.ctio.noao.edu/; @NOAONorth
Description: Sunspots are an important tool for studying the solar cycle. Although records date back hundreds of years, observer bias and the available instruments make it hard to compare modern sunspot counts to historical sunspot counts. In this podcast, National Solar Observatory’s Fraser Watson talks about the STARA Sunspot Detection Catalog and how it can be used to study current as well as historical sunspot patterns.
Bio: Rob Sparks is a science education specialist in the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) group at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and works on the Galileoscope project (www.galileoscope.org), providing design, dissemination and professional development. He blogs at halfastro.wordpress.com.
Fraser Watson is a postdoctoral researcher and currently working with Dr Matthew Penn looking at the long term properties of sunspots using the SOHO/MDI and SDO/HMI instruments along with automated sunspot detection methods. I also created and maintain the STARA sunspot detections catalogue, which contains all sunspots seen by SOHO and SDO since 1996.
End of podcast:
365 Days of Astronomy
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The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the New Media Working Group of the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Audio post-production by Preston Gibson. Bandwidth donated by libsyn.com and wizzard media. Web design by Clockwork Active Media Systems. You may reproduce and distribute this audio for non-commercial purposes. Please consider supporting the podcast and Astrosphere New Media Association with a contribution. Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org. Until tomorrow…