what do cosmonauts research and observe on the orbit of Earth?
The Earth's
Orbit
Like
all planets in our solar system, the Earth is in an elliptical orbit around our
Sun. In Earth's case, its orbit is nearly circular, so that the difference
between Earth's farthest point from the Sun and its closest point is very small.
Earth's orbit defines a two-dimensional plane which we call the ecliptic.
It
takes roughly 365 days for the Earth to go around the Sun once. This means that
the Earth is rushing through space around the Sun at a rate of about 67,000
miles per hour! The time it takes for the Earth to go around the Sun one full
time is what we call a year.
Overview
of ISS Earth Observations
The International Space Station is a
"global observation and diagnosis station." It promotes international
Earth observations aimed at understanding and resolving the environmental
issues of our home planet.
The
space station offers a unique vantage for observing the Earth's ecosystems with
hands-on and automated equipment. These options enable astronauts to observe
and explain what they witness in real time. Station crews can observe and
collect camera images of events as they unfold and may also provide input to
ground personnel programming the station's automated Earth-sensing systems.
This flexibility is an advantage over sensors on unmanned spacecraft,
especially when unexpected natural events, such as volcanic eruptions and
earthquakes, occur.
The Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field,
largely protect life on the planet from cosmic radiation. When astronauts
travel beyond that protective bubble, energetic particles called galactic
cosmic rays bombard their bodies. Galactic cosmic rays are thought to be the
remnants of supernovae and contribute to the space radiation environment along
with protons and helium nuclei ejected from our Sun.
Simulating space radiation on Earth
We along with other radiation biologists, are specifically concerned about astronauts
because, with our current technology, there is no way to protect or shield them
from space radiation.
The cosmic radiation particles traveling near
the speed of light collide with the spacecraft and generate fragmentation
products including neutrons. These fragmentation products still have the energy
to pass through the human body.
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