Abstract
NASA’s twin STEREO probes, launched in 2006, have advanced the art and science of space weather forecasting more than any other spacecraft or solar observatory. By surrounding the Sun, they provide previously impossible early warnings of threats approaching Earth as they develop on the solar far side. They have also revealed the 3D shape and inner structure of CMEs – massive solar storms that can trigger geomagnetic storms when they collide with Earth. This improves the ability of forecasters to anticipate the timing and severity of such events. Moreover, the unique capability of STEREO to track CMEs in three dimensions allows forecasters to make predictions for other planets, giving rise to the possibility of interplanetary space weather forecasting too. STEREO is one of those rare missions for which “planetary hazards” refers to more than one world. The STEREO probes also hold promise for the study of comets and potentially hazardous asteroids.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the STEREO SECCHI, SWAVES, IMPACT, and PLASTIC investigations for their support in the preparation of this manuscript. Additionally, the authors gratefully acknowledge contributions and editorial support from Nat Gopalswamy, Joseph Gurman, Russell Howard, Ian Richardson, William Thompson, and Angelos Vourlidas.
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Guhathakurta, M., Thompson, B.J. (2014). STEREO as a “Planetary Hazards” Mission. In: Allahdadi, F., Pelton, J. (eds) Handbook of Cosmic Hazards and Planetary Defense. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02847-7_17-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02847-7_17-1
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