NASA s new instrument to help measure Sun s incoming energy

Washington March 19 (IANS) To continue long-term measurements of the Sun s incoming energy NASA has powered on a new instrument installed on the International Space Station (ISS).

The instrument Total and Spectral solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1) became fully operational with all instruments collecting science data as of this March NASA said.

"TSIS-1 extends a long data record that helps us understand the Sun s influence on Earth s radiation budget ozone layer atmospheric circulation and ecosystems and the effects that solar variability has on the Earth system and climate change " said Dong Wu TSIS-1 project scientist at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland.

TSIS-1 studies the total amount of light energy emitted by the Sun using the Total Irradiance Monitor one of two sensors onboard.

This sensor s data will give scientists a better understanding of Earth s primary energy supply and provide information to help improve models simulating the planet s climate.

The second onboard sensor called the Spectral Irradiance Monitor measures how the Sun s energy is distributed over the ultraviolet visible and infrared regions of light.

Measuring the distribution of the Sun s energy is important because each wavelength of light interacts with the Earth s atmosphere differently.

For instance spectral irradiance measurements of the Sun s ultraviolet radiation are critical to understanding the ozone layer -- Earth s natural sunscreen that protects life from harmful radiation.

"All systems are operating within their expected ranges " said Peter Pilewskie TSIS-1 lead scientist at the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in the US.

--IANS
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