SOHO LASCO C1: Solar Corona Images and Spectroscopy Data

NASA's SOHO mission provides raw FITS data from the LASCO C1 coronagraph, which images the solar corona from 1.1 to 3 solar radii. The instrument uses a 1024 x 1024 pixel CCD and a Fabry-Perot interferometer to capture monochromatic images with a spectral resolution of 0.07 nm, enabling the derivation of line profiles and Doppler shifts. This dataset is based on the instrument described in the 1992 paper by G. E. Brueckner et al.

Use Cases

• Analyze coronal structure and dynamics based on monochromatic images across the field of view.
• Calculate Doppler shifts and line profiles based on spectral data from the Fabry-Perot interferometer.
• Study solar phenomena at specific radii (1.1-3 solar radii) based on the C1 instrument's defined imaging range.
• Compare spatial resolution (~11 arcsec) and precision of emission line measurements across different solar radii.
• Schedule and analyze observation sequences based on programmable observation programs mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Images have a defined spatial resolution of ~11 arcsec and a spectral resolution of 0.07 nm.
• The CCD uses a 1024 x 1024 pixel array, providing a consistent image format.
• The description provides specific precision metrics for emission line measurements, such as 0.05 Km/s at 1.1 solar radii.
• Observation programs can be scheduled for absolute times, intervals, or iterations, offering flexibility.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-03-13 04:49:10.140741; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration