Press Release

ESA celebrates Sun-Earth Day on 27-28 April 2001

By SpaceRef Editor
April 23, 2001
Filed under , ,

The European Space Agency invites you to join with us in promoting Sun-Earth Day. This event, on 27-28 April, is an exciting opportunity to ponder our links with the nearest star and to celebrate the discoveries of ESAís solar observatories, SOHO, Cluster and Ulysses.



Our Sun plays a central role in daily life, by warming and lighting the world, and powering the growth of living plants. Since ancient times, mankind has been aware of its importance, although not always understanding how or why. Now in the space age, man-made satellites monitor and probe the environs of the Sun, observing subtler and sometimes damaging effects on Earth. Studying this "space weather", the collective term used to describe effects originating from the Sun, is an increasingly important activity in our technology-dependent society.



Solar storms are responsible for many dramatic events. A nine-hour power blackout in Canada, disabled satellites and corroded pipelines have all been blamed on the Sun. Even increased radiation risks to airline passengers and crews can result from high solar activity. Forecasting the space weather can alert us to upcoming storms and appropriate actions can be taken to minimise the impact of these events. The ability to forecast comes from our improved understanding of solar events which has been facilitated by solar physics research, including important contributions from



six spacecraft built in Europe: SOHO stationed far out in space, the four Cluster satellites orbiting together around the Earth, and Ulysses, which flies over the poles of the Sun.


 


ESA invites you to join in an international effort, to promote public awareness of the dynamics of our Sun and its influence on the Earth. On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the ESA/NASA SOHO mission, this is an appropriate opportunity to highlight how solar physics research, both from space and from the ground, contributes valuable information which can impact on our daily life.


 


Events in local languages, at more than 40 locations throughout Europe, will celebrate this international Sun-Earth day with the support of ESA (List of the various events locations can be found below).


 


 


Useful web links


 


The ESA Sun-Earth day site: http://sci.esa.int/sun-earth


The ESA space weather site: http://www.estec.esa.nl/wmwww/spweather/


SOHO and Space Weather: http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/spaceweather


SOHO site: http://sci.esa.int/soho


Cluster site: http://sci.esa.int/cluster


Ulysses site: http://sci.esa.int/ulysses


 


 


For more information please contact:


ESA ñ Communication Department


Media Relations Office


Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155


Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690


 


Dr. Bernhard Fleck, ESA – SOHO Project Scientist


ESA Space Science Dept, c/o NASA- GSFC, Greenbelt (Maryland,USA)


Tel: +1 301 286 4098


Fax: +1 301 286 0264


Email: bfleck@esa.nascom.nasa.gov



Dr. Paal Brekke, ESA ñ SOHO Deputy Project Scientist


ESA Space Science Dept, c/o NASA- GSFC, Greenbelt (Maryland,USA)


Tel: +1 301 286 6983


Fax: +1 301 286 0264


Email: pbrekke@esa.nascom.nasa.gov



For more information on the Cluster and Ulysses missions please contact:



Dr. Philippe Escoubet, ESA ñ Cluster Project Scientist


Esa ñ Estec, Noordwik (The Netherlands)


Tel: +31 71 565 3454


Email: Philippe.Escoubet@esa.int



Dr. Richard Marsden, ESA ñ Ulysses Project Scientist


ESA ñ Estec, Noordwikk (The Netherlands)


Tel: +31 71 565 3583


Email: Richard.Marsden@esa.int



Annex: Sun-Earth day, 27-28 April ñ European events: locations and contacts



We advise the interested media to contact local organisers and get detailed information about date and time of the event(s).


 


 































































































































































































































































































































































 


Country,


City



 


Location,


Web site


 


Coordinator,


e-mail address


 


Tel, Fax.



Event


AUSTRIA

       

Graz


Institute of Geophysics, Astrophysics and Meteorology


Prof. Dr. Hanslmeier


Arh@ugam06ws.KFUniGraz.ac.at



+43 316 380 9825


+43 316 380 5270


Public lecture


BELGIUM

       

Brussels


Planetarium, Heizel


www.Sidc.oma.be



David Berghmans


David.Berghmans@ksb-orb.oma.be



+32 2 3730 224


+32 2 3730 559


 


 


Public Lecture



DENMARK

       

Aarhus


Steno Museet


Joergen Christensen-Dalsgaard


Jcd@ifa.au.dk



+45 89 42 36 14


+45 86 12 07 40


Public Lecture



Copenhagen


IMAX/


Tycho Brahe


Planetarium


M. Linden-Vornle


Mykal@tycho.dk


 


 


 


+45 33 18 19 97


+45 33 18 19 90


Public Lecture



Jels


Orion Planetarium


Henrik Svensmark


Hsv@dsri.dk



+45 74 55 24 00


+45 74 55 26 55



Public Lecture



UNITED KINGDOM

       

London


IMAX


London Science Museum


Richard Harrison


Harrison@solg2.bnsc.rl.ac.uk



+44 1235 44 6884


+44 1235 44 6667


Public lectures, Exhibition, SOLARMAX



University of Central Lancashire


University of Central Lancashire


Robert Walsh


Rwwalsh@uclan.ac.uk



+44 1772 89 3557


+44 1772 89 2996


Public Lectures


Aberystwyth


University of Wales


Shadia Habbal


Habbal@cfa.harvard.edu



+44 1970 622 218


+44 1970 622 826


Public Lecture


Armagh


Armagh Observatory


G. Doyle


jgd@star.arm.ac.uk



+44 28 37522928


+44 28 37527174


Public Lecture



GERMANY

       

Hamburg


Planetarium Hamburg


 


http://www.hamburg.de/Planetarium


Thomas W. Kraupe,


Tomkraupe@yahoo.com



Tel. 040-514985-15


Fax. 040-514985-10


Public Lecture


Exhibition


Sinsheim


IMAX Theatre



U. Schuele schuehle@linmpi.mpg.de


 


 


+49 5556 979 458


+49 5556 979 6458



Public lectures


 


 


Bremen


Olbers Planetarium


www.kis.uni-freiburg.de/kiswwwe.html



Klaus Wilhelm


Wilhelm@linmpi.mpg.de




+49 5556 979 423


+49 5556 979 240



 


Public lectures


Freiburg


Planetarium


Hubertus Woehl


Hw@kis.uni-freiburg.de



+49 761 3198 174


+49 761 3198 111


Public lectures


Greifswald


Max Planck Institute


Frank Jansen


Jansen@physik.uni-greifswald.de



+49 3834 864 774


+49 3834 864 701


ESA 2000 Space Science Exhibition Opening


Public Lectures



Berlin


University of Greifswald


Frank Jansen


Jansen@physik.uni-greifswald.de



+49 30 534 8082


+49 30 534 8083


Public lectures


FRANCE

       

Paris


La Vilette


Jean-Claude Vial


Vial@ias.u-psud.fr



+33 1 69 85 86 31


+33 1 69 85 87 01


Public Lecture


Exhibition


 


 


Toulouse


Cité de líEspace


 


p.droneau@cite-espace.com


Mr. Droneau


http://www.cite-espace.com



+33 5-6271-6480


+33 5-6180-7470



Public lectures


SPAIN

       

Pamplona



Planetario de


Pamplona


Planetario@cin.es



Javier Armentia


Planetario@cin.es




+34.948.260004


+34.948.261919


Public Lecture + Sun


Observations


Madrid


Planetario de Madrid


Juan Sequeiros juan.sequeiros@uah.es



34-91.885.49.94


34-91.885.49.42



Public Lecture



Valencia


LíHemisferic


Vicente Domingo


Vincente@uma.uv.es



Tel. +34 96 398 3607/3229


Fax. +34 96 398 3261


Public Lectures, exhibition,


Solarmax


 


 


Barcelona


IMAX Port Vell


Vincent Domingo


Vdomingo@am.ub.es


+34 93 402 1126


+34 93 402 1133


Public Lectures, exhibition,


Solarmax



Teneriffe/LaLaguna


Science Museum and University


Luis Cuesta Crespo


lcc@ll.iac.es



+34-922-605200


+34-922-605293


+34-922-605210



Public lectures + Sun observation Activities



PORTUGAL

       

Porto


CAUP Planetarium


www.astro.up.pt/news/



Ricardo Samuel Reis


Ricreis@astro.up.pt


+35 12 26 08 98 36


+35 12 26 08 98 31


Public lectures, Paletarium shows, exhibition



ITALY

       

Firenze


Prato


Pisa


Padova


Universita’ di Firenze


Marco Romoli


romoli@arcetri.astro.it


+39-055-2752281


+39 055 224193


High school and public lectures




Torino


OSSERVATORIO ASTRONOMICO DI TORINO



E. Antonucci


antonucci@to.astro.it


 


 


+39 011 8101913


+39 011 8101930.


Public lecture


Catania


Lyceo scientifico


Galileo Galilei


 


www.liceoscientificogalilei.catania.it



D. Spadaro


Dspadaro@alpha4.ct.astro.it



+39 095 7332234


+39 095 330592


Lecture to 300 students



Trieste


Trieste Astronomical Observatory


Mauro Messerotti


Messerotti@ts.astro.it



+39 040 226176/226761


+39 040 226630/309418


Public lectures to schools and University



Rome


University La Sapienza &


Military Academy Livorno


Alessandro Cacciani


Alessandro.cacciani@romal.infn.it



+39 06 49914462


+39 06 4975695


Public Lectures



Palermo


University of Palermo


Fabio Reale


Reale@astropa.unipa.it



+39 091 233 237


+39 091 233 444


Public lectures



Napoli


Osservatorio di Capodimonte


Thomas Strauss


Strauss@na.astro.it



+39 081 5575526


+39 081 456710


Public lectures


NORWAY


Oslo


University


Paal Brekke


Pbrekke@esa.nascom.nasa.gov



+47 22857522


+47 22856505



Public lectures, SOLARMAX,


Exhibition



Bergen


University


Arve Aksnes


Arve.Asksnes@fi.uib.no



+47 55 58 94 06


+47 55 58 94 40



Lectures



SWEDEN


Lund


IDEON 0r Paleastra


Henrik Lundstedt


henrik@irfl.lu.se



+46-46-2862120


+46-46-129879



Lectures



THE NETHERLANDS


Middelburg


Volkssterrenwacht


Philippus Lansbergen


www.lansbergen.demon.nl



Jelle de Plaa

philippus@lansbergen.demon.nl



0118-638018


Public lecture


Haarlem


Volkssterrenwacht


Copernicus


www.vuurwerk.nl



 


 


vstwcop@xs4all.nl



023-5383339


Public lecture


Roden


Amateurbijeenkomst Roden,


het wapen van Drenthe


Theo Jurriens


theo_jurriens@compuserve.com



Public lecture


Amersfoort


Volkssterrenwacht


de Schothorst


Bob van Slooten


slooten@worldonline.nl



033-4559616


Public lecture


Dwingeloo


Planetron


Albert Weishaupt


0521-593535


aweishaupt@planetron.nl



0521-593535


Public lecture


Goirle


Mill-Hillcollege


Ton Spaninks


tonel@wish.net



013-5422534


Public lecture


Leiden


Sterrenwacht


Leiden


Martijn Nuyten

cacabers@yahoo.com



071 5223770


Public lecture


SWITZERLAND


Luzern


 


 


 


 


 


Verkehrshaus


 


http://www.pmodwrc.ch


Claus Frolich


cfrohlich@pmodwrc.ch



+41 81 417 51 36


+41 81 417 51 00


Public lecture


 


 


FINLAND


Vantaa


Heureka Science Centre


T. Pulkkinen


Tuija.pulkkinen@fmi.fi



358-9-1929 4654


358-9-1929 4603


Symposium



Vantaa


Heureka Science Centre


Eino Valtonen


Eino.Valtonen@utu.fi


 


 


+358 2 333 5644


+358 2 333 5993


Public Lecture


 


 


The European space agency is also supporting various events taking place in Canada and in the United States ( Washington DC, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, New Hampshire).


SpaceRef staff editor.