2:14am

Celebrating 10 Years of Revolutionary Solar Views

Twin spacecraft give humanity unprecedented views of the entire sun at one time, traveling to the far side of our home star over the course of a 10-year mission.

These two spacecraft are called STEREO, short for Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory. Launched on Oct. 25, 2006, and originally slated for a two-year mission, both spacecraft sent back data for nearly eight years, and STEREO-A still sends information and images from its point of view on the far side of the sun.

STEREO watches the sun from two completely new perspectives. It also provides information invaluable for understanding the sun and its impact on Earth, other worlds, and space itself – collectively known as space weather. On Earth, space weather can trigger things like the aurora and, in extreme cases, put a strain on power systems or damage high-flying satellites.

Because the rest of our sun-watching satellites orbit near our home planet, STEREO’s twin perspectives far from Earth give us a unique opportunity to look at solar events from all sides and understand them in three dimensions.

We use data from STEREO and other missions to understand the space environment throughout the solar system. This helps operators for missions in deep space prepare for the sudden bursts of particles and magnetic field that could pose a danger to their spacecraft. 

STEREO has also helped us understand other objects in our solar system – like comets. Watching how a comet’s tail moves gives us clues about the constant stream of particles that flows out from the sun, called the solar wind.

STEREO is an essential piece of our heliophysics fleet, which includes 17 other missions. Together, these spacecraft shed new light on the sun and its interaction with space, Earth, and other worlds throughout the solar system. 

To celebrate, we’re hosting a Facebook Live event on Wednesday, Oct. 26. Join us at noon ET on the NASA Sun Science Facebook page to learn more about STEREO and ask questions. 

Learn more about how NASA studies the sun at: www.nasa.gov/stereo

Follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com

i’m truly sorry that after all these years you never learned how to love yourself in such a way so as to appreciate the absolute beauty and hard-earned success and growth of others without taking it as a personal attack upon yourself

d.c. (via a-pen-and-some-words)

“Pro-lifers” should be forced into adopting one of the many foster children already in need of a home. This puts them into the same position as the women they try to force into pregnancy/birth.

Book of the week: Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho

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All credit to @thefrizzkid for the original (the pink)

My aunt put her child up for adoption. Her stance was basically to let her have a chance at a happy life even though she herself couldn't give it to her. I don't think there's anything wrong with that at all.

I mean good for her, but you do realize that we have an issue of not enough kids being adopted. So they end up in the foster care system.

- Mod S.

“Just because someone used to be an important part of your life doesn’t mean you have to continue to cling to the friendship when it begins to die. Your relationship was once something beautiful and fulfilling, and that’s a wonderful thing. But at a certain point, no amount of watering and nurturing will bring it back to full bloom. The fact that its deteriorated doesn’t mean you’re incapable of sustaining meaningful friendships. It doesn’t mean you’re not worth the time and effort it takes to maintain a connection. And it isn’t any sort of evidence that you’re a burden or a bad friend. It just means that the relationship has run its course. It means that you’ve evolved into different people or moved apart or just lost each other in the clutter and preoccupation of life’s everyday demands. But it isn’t a reflection on your value as a person and friend.It’s okay to mourn the loss of a relationship that used to have a special place in your heart. But if keeping yourself tethered to this person is causing more damage than healthy detachment and ongoing growth, it’s also okay to stop watering the friendship and let it die out. You don’t have to sacrifice your wellbeing for the sake of maintaining a relationship that doesn’t serve you anymore. You’re allowed to be picky when it comes to the people you let into your mental and physical space. You’re allowed to conserve your time and energy only for people who reciprocate. Because you deserve to feel seen and heard and cared for. You deserve relationships that make you feel fulfilled and connected. And no matter how long of a history you have with a person, you deserve to let go of any friendship that hurts you and forces you to prove your worth.”

Daniell Koepke (via internal-acceptance-movement)

I needed this so badly. I always wonder if it will end because I want it to get better. So desperately. But I’m going to hold on.

In case you thought only the CDC’s practices were questionable/criminal…

NIH Tested AIDS Drugs on Foster Children

Earlier this May, the Associated Press reported that National Institutes of Health researchers tested AIDS drugs on hundreds of foster children in the late 1980s and ‘90s. In many instances, the drugs were given without independent advocates who monitor the safety of these children. Ed Gordon explores the controversy with two AIDS experts: Dr. Jonathan Fishbein of the National Institutes of Health and Baylor College of Medicine’s Dr. Mark Kline.

Never apologize for burning too brightly or collapsing into yourself every night. That is how galaxies are made.

Tyler Kent White  (via wordsnquotes)