Sun-Gazing Observatory Set for Launch

1.5 terabytes of information a day , near Imax resolution !

these should be some awesome pictures .



Technewsworld
NASA hopes to launch its Solar Dynamics Observatory on Thursday, weather permitting. The SDO will capture views of the sun in IMAX-like high definition and return about 50 times more data than any other NASA mission so far. It's important to understand the vagaries of solar activity, because flareups can interfere with power grids, GPS navigation, air travel and all sorts of critical communications systems.

Originally planned for launch on Tuesday, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory was delayed once again on Wednesday due to high winds .

The new planned launch for the device from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida is Thursday, Feb. 11; the launch window is between 10:23 a.m. and 11:23 a.m. EST.

The SDO will undertake a five-year mission to investigate in unprecedented detail the energy processes driving the sun's stormy activity. The 6,555-pound spacecraft will return 1.5 terabytes of data every day -- equal to half a million downloaded songs -- and provide detailed images of near-IMAX-quality high resolution.