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Information
about STEREO-A close approach to Earth, August 2023
Opportunities for collaborative science with Parker Solar Probe
This page outlines how the orbital configurations of STEREO and Parker Solar
Probe can contribute to collaborative science between the two missions. We
examine two categories for possible collaborative science: encounters with the
planet Venus, and Parker Solar Probe perihelion passages. An additional
event where the STEREO Ahead and Parker Solar Probe spacecraft
closely approach each other is also examined as an opportunity for
cross-calibration of the in situ instruments.
There are a number of ways in which STEREO can support Parker Solar
Probe. One way is by providing views of the solar surface and inner corona
that are not visible from Earth. Depending on the orbital configuration,
STEREO may be able to provide imagery not otherwise available of the solar
source regions of the in situ material detected by Parker Solar
Probe.
Another favorable configuration is quadrature, when STEREO Ahead and
Parker Solar Probe are at roughly right angles to each other. At
quadrature, the COR1 and COR2 coronagraphs on STEREO have a good view of the
material streaming toward Parker Solar Probe. Given the wide range of
longitudes that Parker Solar Probe travels through during its perihelion
passes, both STEREO and SOHO will be in quadrature at least part of the pass.
Early in the mission, when Ahead and Earth are widely separated, the
combination of the two ensures that the entire perihelion pass should be well
covered by either Ahead or SOHO.
For the in situ instruments on both spacecraft, interesting
configurations include being situation along the same radial direction, or
along the same magnetic field line. Because Parker Solar Probe covers a
wide range of longitudes during its perihelion observing passes, these
alignments often occur at some point during the pass. These figures show the difference in heliographic
longitude between Parker Solar Probe and STEREO Ahead. The upper
panel zooms in on when the two spacecraft are within 10 degrees of being
radially aligned. The lower panel shows the heliocentric distance for
Parker Solar Probe (solid) and STEREO Ahead (dot-dash). The
dashed vertical lines mark the positions of the zero crossings in the upper
panel. Many of these zero crossings occur close to Parker Solar Probe
perihelia.
Other connections can also be explored through the
STEREO Orbit Tool.
Close approach
Venus encounters
Perihelion passages
Last Revised: Tuesday, 24-Sep-2024 20:10:59 UTC
Responsible NASA Official: ![[email address: Therese.A.Kucera<at>nasa<dot>gov]](/img/kucera_email1.jpg)
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