What's above Venus on the SOHO scan today ?

Compare the two scans below, taken today, the first at 17:56 and the second
about an hour later at 19:06

1.
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...l/20030827_175
6_c3.gif
2.
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...l/20030827_190
6_c3.gif

The Sun is in the middle blocked by a template.
Venus is the bright "star" on the left, with a line through it
Jupiter is the other bright "star" on the right, with a line through it.
Regulus is directly below Jupiter.

But what on earth is the unusual star above Venus (halfway up from Venus to
the edge of the image) that was not in the 17:56 image (ie. link-1 above)
but very clear in the 19:06 image (ie. link-2 above)? It has a few comet
like spikes, and a scattering of bright objects around it !

Lester

"Lester John" wrote in message
...
Compare the two scans below, taken today, the first at 17:56 and the
second
about an hour later at 19:06

1.

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...l/20030827_175
6_c3.gif
2.

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...l/20030827_190
6_c3.gif

The Sun is in the middle blocked by a template.
Venus is the bright "star" on the left, with a line through it
Jupiter is the other bright "star" on the right, with a line through it.
Regulus is directly below Jupiter.

But what on earth is the unusual star above Venus (halfway up from Venus
to
the edge of the image) that was not in the 17:56 image (ie. link-1 above)
but very clear in the 19:06 image (ie. link-2 above)? It has a few comet
like spikes, and a scattering of bright objects around it !


Hi! This is most likely radiation induced noise in the CCD detectors. You
have to remember, in space you don't have the protective layer we call
atmosphere to protect you from high energy particles which originate from
the Sun, as well as energetic cosmic radiation. These particles strike the
CCD chip and produce various artifacts. These SOHO images are published
online in raw form, they aren't processed and in every frame you can see
these radiation markings as random noise, dots, dashes, etc. Interestingly,
when Hubble takes pictures this effect is also present so scientists who
process the images must remove these artifacts manually. Just goes to show
you that space is quite a harsh environment to work in...

Hope that helps!

--
The butler did it.

Good catch! What's your name in Latin so we can put it in the books?

--
Richard N. Price


"Lester John" wrote in message
...
Compare the two scans below, taken today, the first at 17:56 and the
second
about an hour later at 19:06

1.

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...l/20030827_175
6_c3.gif
2.

http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...l/20030827_190
6_c3.gif

The Sun is in the middle blocked by a template.
Venus is the bright "star" on the left, with a line through it
Jupiter is the other bright "star" on the right, with a line through it.
Regulus is directly below Jupiter.

But what on earth is the unusual star above Venus (halfway up from Venus
to
the edge of the image) that was not in the 17:56 image (ie. link-1 above)
but very clear in the 19:06 image (ie. link-2 above)? It has a few comet
like spikes, and a scattering of bright objects around it !

Lester

Ugo wrote in message ...
"Lester John" wrote in message
...
Compare the two scans below, taken today, the first at 17:56 and the
second
about an hour later at 19:06

1.


http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...l/20030827_175
6_c3.gif
2.


http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/data/...l/20030827_190
6_c3.gif

The Sun is in the middle blocked by a template.
Venus is the bright "star" on the left, with a line through it
Jupiter is the other bright "star" on the right, with a line through it.
Regulus is directly below Jupiter.

But what on earth is the unusual star above Venus (halfway up from Venus
to
the edge of the image) that was not in the 17:56 image (ie. link-1
above)
but very clear in the 19:06 image (ie. link-2 above)? It has a few
comet
like spikes, and a scattering of bright objects around it !


Hi! This is most likely radiation induced noise in the CCD detectors. You
have to remember, in space you don't have the protective layer we call
atmosphere to protect you from high energy particles which originate from
the Sun, as well as energetic cosmic radiation. These particles strike the
CCD chip and produce various artifacts. These SOHO images are published
online in raw form, they aren't processed and in every frame you can see
these radiation markings as random noise, dots, dashes, etc.
Interestingly,
when Hubble takes pictures this effect is also present so scientists who
process the images must remove these artifacts manually. Just goes to show
you that space is quite a harsh environment to work in...

Hope that helps!

Thanks very much. I suppose multiple Soho cameras imaging the same part of
the spectrum would have resolved that problem.

regards,
Lester