The Sagamore Hill Solar Radio Observatory is a
solar
Solar may refer to:
Astronomy
* Of or relating to the Sun
** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun
** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels")
** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysics, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed.
Th ...
located in
Hamilton, Massachusetts
Hamilton is a town in the eastern central portion of Essex County in eastern Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 7,561. Notably, the town has no industrially-zoned land.
Though Hamilton is a landlocked tow ...
, that operates on a daily basis to obtain scientific observations of the
Sun
The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as visible light a ...
. It is a functional component of the
Radio Solar Telescope Network The Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN) is a network of solar observatories maintained and operated by the 557th Weather Wing, ACC. The RSTN consists of ground-based observatories in Australia, Italy, Massachusetts, and Hawaii.
History
It became ...
(RSTN).
History
It became apparent in the early 1960s that certain
space weather
Space weather is a branch of space physics and aeronomy, or heliophysics, concerned with the varying conditions within the Solar System and its heliosphere. This includes the effects of the solar wind, especially on the Earth's magnetosphere, ion ...
events might interfere with the U.S. objective of putting a man on the moon. Foremost among these concerns was the possibility of a
geomagnetic storm
A geomagnetic storm, also known as a magnetic storm, is a temporary disturbance of the Earth's magnetosphere that is driven by interactions between the magnetosphere and large-scale transient Plasma (physics), plasma and magnetic field structur ...
of solar origin. Metric Type II radio bursts, signatures of coronal shock waves or
coronal mass ejections
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a significant ejection of plasma mass from the Sun's corona into the heliosphere. CMEs are often associated with solar flares and other forms of solar activity, but a broadly accepted theoretical understanding ...
, were known to be commonly associated with
solar flares
A solar flare is a relatively intense, localized emission of electromagnetic radiation in the Stellar atmosphere, Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by coronal mass ejections, solar partic ...
. The
United States Air Force Research Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research and development detachment of the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of direct-energy based aerospace warf ...
(AFRL) was thus assigned the task of developing and validating a network of ground-based solar observatories. AFRL established a worldwide network of sweep frequency recorders from which estimates of the shock speed in the corona could be made. The prototype was assembled and operated at Sagamore Hill during the early 1960s. The observatory began operating solar patrols in 1966.
The
Air Force Geophysics Laboratory
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is a scientific research and development detachment of the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of direct-energy based aerospace warf ...
(AFGL) transferred operation of the observatory to the Air Force in October 1978. The observatory is now officially Detachment 2,
2nd Weather Squadron
The 2nd Weather Squadron (2 WS) is an active United States Air Force unit assigned to the 2nd Weather Group of the 557th Weather Wing and is headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. The squadron's mission is broad and includes the pre ...
of the
2nd Weather Group of the
557th Weather Wing
The 557th Weather Wing is a United States Air Force formation and its lead military meteorology center. It reports environmental situational awareness worldwide to the Air Force, the United States Army, joint warfighters, Unified Combatant Co ...
. The 2nd Weather Squadron currently operates other RSTN observatories at
Kaena Point
Kaena or Kaena Point is the westernmost tip of the island of Oahu. In Hawaiian, ''kaena'' means "the heat". The area was named after a brother or cousin of Pele. The point is designated as a Natural Area Reserve.
History
According to ancie ...
, Hawaii;
San Vito dei Normanni
San Vito dei Normanni ( Sanvitese: ), historically known as San Vito degli Schiavoni is an Italian town of 19,947 inhabitants of the province of Brindisi in Apulia. The inhabitants are called Sanvitesi (or Santuvitisi in dialect) and the town is s ...
, Italy; and
Learmonth,
Western Australia
Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
.
[
]
Instruments
Instruments currently located at the Sagamore Hill RSTN site include the Radio Interference Monitoring Sets (RIMS) and the Solar Radio Spectrograph (SRS).[ The RIMS system consists of three dishes observing at eight different frequencies, while the SRS system consists of two antennas observing two different frequency bands.
The site previously included a 150-foot fully steerable antenna, which was installed in 1963 and moved to Millstone Hill in ]Westford, Massachusetts
Westford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was at 24,643 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census.
History
Westford began as 'West Chelmsford,' a villag ...
in 1978. In 1967, this parabolic dish
A parabolic (or paraboloid or paraboloidal) reflector (or dish or mirror) is a reflective surface used to collect or project energy such as light, sound, or radio waves. Its shape is part of a circular paraboloid, that is, the surface generated ...
was used to receive data from the solar research satellite OV1-5, and to conduct ionospheric
The ionosphere () is the ionized part of the upper atmosphere of Earth, from about to above sea level, a region that includes the thermosphere and parts of the mesosphere and exosphere. The ionosphere is ionized by solar radiation. It plays ...
research by receiving transmissions from the Intelsat 1 and ATS-1
ATS-1 (Applications Technology Satellite 1), also designated ATS-B or Advanced Tech. Sat. 1, was an experimental geostationary satellite, launched in 1966, and part of the Applications Technology Satellites Program. Though intended as a communi ...
satellites.
See also
* Solar telescope
A solar telescope or a solar observatory is a special-purpose telescope used to observe the Sun. Solar telescopes usually detect light with wavelengths in, or not far outside, the visible spectrum. Obsolete names for Sun telescopes include helio ...
* List of astronomical observatories
This is a partial list of astronomical observatories ordered by name, along with initial dates of operation (where an accurate date is available) and location. The list also includes a final year of operation for many observatories that are no lon ...
References
{{Reflist
External links
557th Weather Wing, 2d Weather Group
557th Weather Wing
Radio telescopes
Buildings and structures in Hamilton, Massachusetts
Military facilities in Massachusetts