Space Mathematics Worksheet 2
- Problem: When a solar flare occurs on the Sun, it can
send out a blast wave that travels through interplanetary space at
a speed of 3 x 10 6 km/h.
- How long would it take a blast wave to get to
Earth where it could be detected by a satellite in orbit? The
Earth-Sun distance is 1.5 x 10 8 km , and you can use the same
number for the satellite-Sun distance. Express your answer in
hours.
(answer)
- When such a solar flare is detected, it is interesting to
study the source. Since the Sun is rotating, we must determine
how far the source has turned between the emission and the
detection of a solar flare. Because the Sun is a dense gas
rather than a solid body, it does not have uniform rotation
rate; on the average the Sun makes one complete revolution in
25.4 days. How many degrees would it rotate (on the average)
during the time the blast wave traveled from the sun to the
orbiting satellite?
(answer)
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WWW pages edited by Jonathan G. Fairman - August
1996
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Tom.Benson@grc.nasa.gov
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