Speaker
Description
The Sun is observed from the ground, from the stratosphere and from space. Although there are some observations that can only be done from space, e.g. in wavelengths such as the extreme ultraviolet that are absorbed in the Earth's atmosphere, and others that are currently possible only from the ground, e.g. the highest resolution observations with 4m diameter telescopes. However, there are a range of observations that are of great importance for our understanding of solar activity and space weather that can be carried out from each of the three environments. Perhaps the most fundamental of these are measurements of the Sun’s magnetic field. This talk will highlight advantages of observing the Sun from space and from the stratosphere, and provide some example results. It will also point out some of the challenges to observing the Sun from these environments.