4 understanding of the Suns temperatures, in June of 2013, NASA launched the IRIS solar observatory. IRIS, short for
Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, was launched to use imaging spectrography on the Sun. NASA’s goal was to determine “how solar material moves, gathers energy, and heats up as it travels through a little-understood region in the sun 's lower atmosphere. This interface region between the Sun 's photosphere and corona powers its dynamic million-degree atmosphere and drives the solar wind.” (IRIS mission overview) This mission could help us to understand how material in the Suns corona reaches temperatures thousands of times greater than its surface.
It may also explain how magnetic fields cause solar flares. All of these things will help us to understand …show more content…
(Small Worlds).NASA’s 2016 budget is set at 19.3 Billion dollars, while the EPA’s budget for protecting the Earth is set at 8.14 Billion dollars. As to the question of whether the benefits out weighting the costs, it isn’t a straight forward yes or no question. It is not possible to foresee if the benefits to come will be worth the price we are paying to date. Conversely, if we choose not to fund research, would we miss a discovery that is beneficial to mankind when it is needed most?Though space may always be out there for the taking, it is possible that we as a living race will not be. Much like the 1979 billboard hit “Rainbow Connection” which proclaims,” Somebody thought of it, and someone believed it, look where we’ve come so far. What’s so amazing that keeps us star gazing, and what do we think we might see?”, space causes an urgency within us to find something more in life. As such, no matter the cost, we will never stop trying to find that connection that will cause it all to make sense, thereby restoring a sense of order to our system of
Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, was launched to use imaging spectrography on the Sun. NASA’s goal was to determine “how solar material moves, gathers energy, and heats up as it travels through a little-understood region in the sun 's lower atmosphere. This interface region between the Sun 's photosphere and corona powers its dynamic million-degree atmosphere and drives the solar wind.” (IRIS mission overview) This mission could help us to understand how material in the Suns corona reaches temperatures thousands of times greater than its surface.
It may also explain how magnetic fields cause solar flares. All of these things will help us to understand …show more content…
(Small Worlds).NASA’s 2016 budget is set at 19.3 Billion dollars, while the EPA’s budget for protecting the Earth is set at 8.14 Billion dollars. As to the question of whether the benefits out weighting the costs, it isn’t a straight forward yes or no question. It is not possible to foresee if the benefits to come will be worth the price we are paying to date. Conversely, if we choose not to fund research, would we miss a discovery that is beneficial to mankind when it is needed most?Though space may always be out there for the taking, it is possible that we as a living race will not be. Much like the 1979 billboard hit “Rainbow Connection” which proclaims,” Somebody thought of it, and someone believed it, look where we’ve come so far. What’s so amazing that keeps us star gazing, and what do we think we might see?”, space causes an urgency within us to find something more in life. As such, no matter the cost, we will never stop trying to find that connection that will cause it all to make sense, thereby restoring a sense of order to our system of