skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: World data center a for solar-terrestrial physics. Catalog of coronal holes, 1970-1991

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6800543

Coronal Holes were first noted as 'M' regions that produced periodic geomagnetic disturbances. These were first observed in 1970 by instruments on the Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO) satellites, and also were noted with optical observations during the total solar eclipse of March 7, 1970. The Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) on the Skylab manned mission observed in short wavelengths the real nature of Coronal Holes as regions of lower density and temperature than the rest of the solar corona. Three observational periods from Skylab produced substantial data on the development of Coronal Holes as well as their relationship with other types of solar activity. After Skylab, although Coronal Holes were later deduced from radio observations, the main data were obtained by observing the He l 10830A line at the Vacuum Solar Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. These data, continuous from 1977 to date, were published in Solar-Geophysical Data (SGD) as Helium synoptic charts by Carrington Rotation or as Coronal Hole contours plotted on H-alpha synoptic charts. The Skylab observations of Coronal Holes were the subject of exhaustive examination. However, the main data source on Coronal Holes currently are the synoptic maps published in SGD. This catalogue was motivated by the lack of a global reference guide. This catalogue is based only on summary data for each Carrington Rotation, it presents interesting values and enough data to analyze several aspects of the evolution of Coronal Holes.

Research Organization:
World Data Center A for Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Boulder, CO (United States)
OSTI ID:
6800543
Report Number(s):
PB-93-138469/XAB; UAG-102
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Also available from Supt. of Docs
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English