Sumer/soho

Abstract

The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA, was launched on December 2, 1995 and arrived at its operational location (the L1 Lagrangian point, 1.5X10 to the powe 6 km away from us) on February 14, 1996. It carries twelve sophisticated instruments to examine (1) the hidden solar interior, using the techniques of helioseismology, (2) the heating mechanisms of the solar corona, and (3)the origin of the solar wind and its acceleration processes. A very brief presentation is made on the status report of SOHO - three helioseismology instruments (GOLF, VIRGO and MDI/SOI) providing unique data to study the Sun from its deep core to the convection zone, five remote sensing instruments (CDS, SUMER, EIT, UVCS and LASCO) viewing the solar atmosphere and four instruments (SWAN, CELIAS, COSTEP and ERNE) making in-situ measurements of the solar wind and energetic particles. A detailed presentation is made on the rich source of high-resolution EUV observations currently being made and analysed from the SUMER (500-1610Å) instrument by observers from all over the world at the EOF at NASA-GSFC.