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Credit: Space Shutle
STS-95 Crew,
NASA
Explanation:
Last October the Space Shuttle Discovery deployed
Spartan 201, a spacecraft that monitored the
corona of the
Sun.
Instruments on
Spartan 201 were used to estimate the density of
electrons emitted into the solar corona, calibrate data from the
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite,
and study how the Sun is changing as it reaches
maximum activity over the next few years.
Pictured above, the space shuttle's robot arm (top left) releases Spartan (center)
into space.
The tail fin of the
space shuttle is visible on the right,
while the Earth hovers in the background.
Spartan floated near the shuttle for
two days before it was picked up again and
returned to Earth.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Sun - Observatory - space shuttle
Publications with words: Sun - Observatory - space shuttle
See also: