Data Summary
Title: SWS Solar Images from Culgoora (N.S.W.) and Learmonth (W.A) Solar Observatories ( 2003 onwards)
Status: onGoing
Start Time: 2003-01-02
End Time: now
Geographical Extent (deg):
West: 112
East: 154
South: -44
North: -9
Data Details
Abstract
Australia has made major contributions to research in solar physics for several decades. Solar images are a major kind of record of solar activities. The SWS has monitored and archived solar activity images from Culgoora and Learmonth for more than two decades.
Images from Culgoora include H-Alpha (2003-2014) and White Light(2004-2013) images. A new single mounted, three telescopes structure has been installed at Culgoora. Culgoora solar image data is available for 02/01/2003 onwards.
Learmonth Solar Observatory is jointly operated by Bureau of Meteorology - Space Weather Network and the US Air Force. The Learmonth observatory is the site of one of six solar velocity imagers in the world-wide GONG (Global Oscillation Network Group) network operated by NSO (US National Solar Observatory). Images from Learmonth include H-Alpha(2004-2009), GONG H-Alpha (since 2013), GONG White Light(since 2010)and GONG Magnetogram(since 2010) images. Learmonth solar image data is available for 31/05/2004 onwards.
Data frequency: Every 60 seconds;
Supplementary Information:
The general information about the Sun and Solar Activity [ http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Educational/2/1 ].
Map of all stations: [ http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/World_Data_Centre/2/1/1 ].
Stations details for Culgoora [ http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/World_Data_Centre/2/1/27 ] and Learmonth [ http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/World_Data_Centre/2/1/21 ].
Global Oscillation Network Group Home Page [ http://gong.nso.edu/ ]
Documentation, including solar activity and solar image information [ http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Solar/6/1 ]
Purpose:
Regular reports and forecasts of solar activity are transmitted to the Australian Space Forecast Centre in Sydney, and are disseminated to similar organisations internationally. Particularly significant solar outbursts are reported to a wide range of interested parties around the world within minutes of their occurrence.
These solar images and observed sunspot number datasets support the Bureau's Space Weather Services ( SWS ) Program.
Keywords:
(Type: theme)
- Solar Image
- White Light Solar Image
- H-Alpha Image
- Space Weather
- GONG H-Alpha Solar Images
- GONG White Light Solar Images
- GONG Magnetogram Images
Keywords:
(Type: theme; Thesaurus:
GCMD science keywords)
- Earth Science | Sun-Earth Interactions | Solar Activity | Solar Imagery
- Earth Science | Sun-Earth Interactions | Solar Activity | Solar Flares
- Earth Science | Sun-Earth Interactions | Solar Activity | Solar Prominences/Solar Filaments
- Earth Science | Sun-Earth Interactions | Solar Activity | Sunspots
Citation Details
Title: SWS Solar Images from Culgoora (N.S.W.) and Learmonth (W.A) Solar Observatories ( 2003 onwards)
Resource Date:
2017-07-03T09:00:00
(creation)
Identifier:
Code: http://www.bom.gov.au/metadata/19115/ANZCW0503900482
Party To Be Cited:
Organisation: Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Role: originator
Credit: Support is provided by the Space Weather Network and the US Air Force in Learmonth for the Solar Images observations data.
Point Of Contact For Dataset
Point Of Contact: WDC Manager, WDC manager; Space Weather Services, Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Email:
sws_wdc@bom.gov.au
Web: Bureau of Meteorology Space Weather Solar Data website. [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/World_Data_Centre/2/7]
(WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link)
, Function: information
Custodian: WDC Manager, WDC manager; Space Weather Services, Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Owner: Australian Bureau of Meteorology
Data Extent
Extent Description: Australia : Learmonth (Lat. -22.25 Long. 114.08E) and Culgoora (Lat. -30.28 Long. 149.58E). [Decimal degrees]
Geographical Extent (deg):
West Bound Longitude: 112
East Bound Longitude: 154
South Bound Latitude: -44
North Bound Latitude: -9
Temporal Extent:
Start Time: 2003-01-02
End Time: now
Description: 2003-01-02 to now
Dataset Constraints
Dataset Legal Constraints:
Use Constraints: copyright; otherRestrictions
Use Limitation:
The solar images data has had very limited quality control.
Other Constraints:
DATA LICENCE:
Data resources freely available from the Bureau of Meteorology website and ftp site, which are described in this metadata record are licensed under the Bureau's "Default terms of use", which are explained at the following url [ http://www.bom.gov.au/other/copyright.shtml ].
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ATTRIBUTION: We request that attribution is "Australian Bureau of Meteorology (date), [Title], ( http://www.bom.gov.au/metadata/19115/ANZCW0503900482 ); Downloaded from [url] on [date-of-download]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DISCLAIMER: Please refer to [ http://www.bom.gov.au/other/disclaimer.shtml ] for disclaimer details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jump To Top
Data Information
Data Distribution Information
DownloadableData : FTP daily zipped solar image data files, from Learmonth and Culgoora solar observatories.
( H-Alpha, GONG H-Alpha, GONG White Light and GONG Magnetogram ) [ftp://ftp-out.sws.bom.gov.au/wdc/wdc_sol_archive/data/]
(WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-ftp--download)
, Function: download
Online information about Culgoora and Learmonth solar observatories. [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Solar]
(WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link)
, Function: information
Learmonth real time Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) instrument observation result. (H-Alpha , White Light , and Magnetogram ) [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Solar/3/3]
(WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link)
, Function: information
Summary of available data [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/World_Data_Centre/2/7]
(WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link)
, Function: information
Information about the images from Culgoora and Learmonth [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Solar/6/1#CulH-Alpha]
(WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link)
SPASE metadata records [SPASE format], per station/data-type [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/World_Data_Centre/3/1/]
(WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link)
Point of truth URL of this metadata record (19115) [http://www.bom.gov.au/metadata/19115/ANZCW0503900482]
(www link)
, Function: information
Additional historical data –Culgoora [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Solar/2/5]
(WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link)
Data Quality
Scope:
Level: dataset
Lineage:
Statement: The Solar Images data are processed data, and are uncalibrated.
The solar Images data has had very limited quality control.
Excerpt below is from [ http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Solar/6/1#CulH-Alpha ]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Culgoora White Light Image
White light refers to the sum of all visible wavelengths (400 - 700 nm). At the Culgoora Observatory a telescope continuously tracks the sun during daylight hours providing white light and H-Alpha images of the solar disk. White light observations of the solar disk are of the photosphere which radiates at predominantly infra-red, visible and ultra-violet wavelengths. Sunspots, which are darkened regions of the photosphere where radiation release is inhibited by intense magnetic fields, are best observed in white light images of the solar disk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Culgoora H-Alpha Image
At the Culgoora Observatory a telescope tracks the sun throughout daylight hours providing a continuous feed of images of the solar disk. Typical of solar observing telescopes, the Culgoora telescope is fitted with an H- Alpha filter which views the solar disk at a wavelength of 656.3nm, falling in the red part of the visible spectrum. This wavelength corresponds to the first atomic transition in the Balmer Series of Hydrogen (H-alpha). The H-alpha line is universally used for patrol observations of solar flares, filaments, prominences and the structure of active solar regions. H-Alpha images correspond to the chromosphere of the sun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learmonth H-Alpha, White Light and Magnetogram Images
At the Learmonth Observatory a solar telescope tracks the sun throughout daylight hours providing a continuous feed of images of the solar disk. White Light (400 - 700 nm) images provide observations of the photosphere [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Educational/1/2/1/P-Q ] of the solar disk while H-alpha (656.3 nm) images are observations of the chromosphere [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Educational/1/2/1/C ]. In addition, Learmonth is a member of GONG, the Global Oscillation Network Group, which provides detailed magnetic flux images of the solar disk. Such images show the intense and complex distribution of magnetic flux throughout an active sunspot region providing a detailed indication of the likelihood of a region flaring. In addition, the polarity of sunspot groups can be seen. The polarity of the leader and trailer spots of a sunspot group are reversed with a change in solar cycle.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learmonth H-Alpha Images
Typical of solar observing telescopes, the Learmonth telescope is fitted with an H-Alpha filter which views the solar disk at a wavelength of 656.3nm, falling in the red part of the visible spectrum. This wavelength corresponds to the first atomic transition in the Balmer Series of Hydrogen (H-alpha). The H-alpha line is universally used for patrol observations of solar flares, filaments, prominences and the structure of active solar regions [http://www.sws.bom.gov.au/Educational/1/2/1/A-B ].
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Learmonth Historical Data
Links to the Learmonth Observatory ftp archives can be found here. Available for download are H-alpha images of the solar disk, daily for the last 4 months and every few minutes over the last month. Daily solar radio spectrographs are available for the last 3 months.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jump To Top
Metadata Information
Metadata Identifier: ANZCW0503900482
Hierarchy Level: dataset
Hierarchy Level Name: Data Asset Audit record