The International Heliophysical Year is a UN-sponsored scientifically driven international program of scientific collaboration to understand external drivers of planetary environments and universal processes in

solar Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

-terrestrial- planetary- heliospheric physics. The IHY will focus on advancements in all aspects of the heliosphere and its interaction with the

interstellar medium In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter and radiation that exist in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, as well as dust and cosmic rays. It fills interstella ...

. This effort culminates in the "International Heliophysical Year" (IHY) in 2007-2008. The IHY concluded in February, 2009, but was largely continued via the International Space Weather Initiative (ISWI) The term ''" Heliophysical"'' was coined to refer specifically to this activity of studying the interconnectedness of the entire

- heliospheric- planetary system. It is a broadening of the concept " geophysical," extending the connections from the Earth to the Sun and interplanetary space. On the 50th anniversary of the

International Geophysical Year The International Geophysical Year (IGY; french: Année géophysique internationale) was an international scientific project that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific ...

, the 2007 IHY activities will build on the success of IGY 1957 by continuing its legacy of system-sides studies of the extended heliophysical domain.

History

The IHY 2007 has been planned to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) in 1957-1958, one of the most successful international science programs of all time. The

IGY Immunoglobulin Y (abbreviated as IgY) is a type of immunoglobulin which is the major antibody in bird, reptile, and lungfish blood. It is also found in high concentrations in chicken egg yolk. As with the other immunoglobulins, IgY is a class of ...

was a broad-based and all-encompassing effort to push the frontiers of

geophysics Geophysics () is a subject of natural science concerned with the physical processes and physical properties of the Earth and its surrounding space environment, and the use of quantitative methods for their analysis. The term ''geophysics'' som ...

and resulted in tremendous progress in space physics, Sun-Earth connections,

planetary science Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their f ...

and the heliosphere in general. The tradition of international science years began almost 125 years ago with the first

International Polar Year The International Polar Years (IPY) are collaborative, international efforts with intensive research focus on the polar regions. Karl Weyprecht, an Austro-Hungarian naval officer, motivated the endeavor in 1875, but died before it first occurred i ...

and international scientific studies of global processes at the North Pole in 1882-1883. The IHY has received substantial support from the United Nations, and various space agencies around the world.

Objectives

The IHY has three primary objectives: * Advancing our Understanding of the Heliophysical Processes that Govern the Sun, Earth and Heliosphere * Continuing the tradition of international research and advancing the legacy on the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical Year * Demonstrating the Beauty, Relevance and Significance of Space and Earth Science to the World

Science goals

The IHY team has also identified the following science goals for 2007-2008: # Develop the basic science of heliophysics through cross-disciplinary studies o
universal processes
# Determine the response of terrestrial and

planet A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...

ary

magnetosphere In astronomy and planetary science, a magnetosphere is a region of space surrounding an astronomical object in which charged particles are affected by that object's magnetic field. It is created by a celestial body with an active interior dynam ...

s and

atmospheres The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as Pa. It is sometimes used as a ''reference pressure'' or ''standard pressure''. It is approximately equal to Earth's average atmospheric pressure at sea level. History The s ...

to external drivers. # Promote research on the Sun- heliosphere system outward to the local

- the new frontier. # Foster international scientific cooperation in the study of heliophysical phenomena now and in the future # Communicate unique IHY results to the scientific community and the general public

External links

* IHY Home Page: http://ihy2007.org * eGY Home Page: https://web.archive.org/web/20130828174005/http://egy.org/index.php * IPY Home Page: http://www.ipy.org * IYPE Home Page: http://yearofplanetearth.org * IHY Japan Home Page: https://web.archive.org/web/20070929103220/http://www2.nict.go.jp/y/y223/sept/IHY/IHY-e.html * MARP Malaysian Home Page: https://web.archive.org/web/20080908072514/http://www.myantarctica.com.my/aboutMARP.htm * QuakeFinder Home Page: http://www.quakefinder.com/ 2007 in science 2008 in science NASA programs Sun Heliophysical Space science

History

Objectives

Science goals

See also

External links