Sun probe sends back first data (BBC) {Japan's Solar B}

[eppur_se_muova]

The new Japanese spacecraft sent into orbit in September to study the Sun has returned its first scientific data.

The probe lifted off as Solar-B but is now called Hinode, or "sunrise" in Japanese. The renaming of recently launched craft is a Japanese custom.

The platform has three telescopes to study solar flares, colossal explosions that occur in the Sun's atmosphere.

The mission team, which includes UK and US scientists, reports Hinode's systems to be in excellent health.
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As well as the EIS, the spacecraft carries a Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), and an X-Ray Telescope (XRT).


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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6113902.stm