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NASA has launched a satellite for studying the Sun. / February 12, 2010 /

The U.S. space agency launched its apparatus for the study of the Sun Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). This was reported on the official website of the agency.

Orbit SDO withdrew rocket Atlas V. The original launch was scheduled for 10 February, but due to bad weather at Cape Canaveral was postponed for one day.

The height of the orbit of the new apparatus will be approximately 33 thousand kilometers. Using highly sensitive instruments on board the SDO will collect data about the Sun and its magnetic field and transmit them to the station in the state of New Mexico. A total time of the apparatus of five years.

According to the researchers, SDO will get data that will be useful for predicting different kinds of solar storms. At present, light is in an abnormally long period of calm, but gradually begins to come out of it. Thus, the question of predicting storms may become relevant in the near future.

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