Scientists took advantage of Skylab's ability to collect nearly continuous observations of the sun to study the changing structure of many solar features. Previously, observations had taken place:
Many new and exciting qualities were discovered about the sun. Skylab was able to see the structure of and changes in the solar chromosphere and transition region (between the chromosphere and corona). This page will focus mainly on the new discoveries about the corona.
It was known at the time of the Skylab launch that the solar atmosphere is constantly changing. The sunspot cycle, for example, had been known for hundreds of years. Skylab's data were taken during the period of time between the 1968-1969 maximum and the 1976-1977 sunspot minimum. However, Skylab was the first instrument to study the short term changes in the sunspot structure. Skylab looked in the ultraviolet to see the geometric and temperature structure of prominences. And Skylab was able to see the faint outer corona against the black sky of space.
Skylab was the first to identify the magnetic loops of the corona and recognize that the corona is comprised entirely of magnetic loops and arches. The X-Ray telescopes were able to see short scale changes in the structure of the inner corona.
Skylab also studied coronal holes and confirmed that they are the source of the solar wind. It was able to identify the enigmatic polar plumes as streams of coronal gas flowing along concentrated magnetic field lines. It was able to trace their source back to bright points within the coronal holes.
Skylab studied the "bright points", which are small, bright regions in the ultraviolet and X-Ray wavelengths. It was able to see the detailed structure of the active regions on the sun. Skylab also studied the active prominences of the sun. And Skylab was the first to determine that flares occur in small, hot, localized regions of the sun and are triggered by the brightening of a small loop, or an arcade of loops in an active region.
Two of the major advantages that Skylab had over other observing programs was its ability to see the entire atmosphere of the sun at all wavelengths and its crew's constant attention. The latter enabled the crew to be the first to see the very beginning of events, such as the early stages of a CME.
Skylab was able to trace material as it moved from the chromosphere to the corona. It showed coronal transients in more detail than had ever been seen before. Although evidence of these mass ejections previously had been discovered, this was the first time that scientists were able to witness one occurring and to record the entire event.
On the data reduction side, scientists studying the Skylab data began to employ the new technique of color-enhancing their data.
Further information can be found in A New Sun: The Solar Results From Skylab by John A. Eddy (Publ. by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington D.C., 1979).
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Last revised January 31, 1996 - Cathy Andrulis