High Resolution Helioseismology from the South Pole

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This project supports the study of the interior of the sun by measuring the oscillations of the visible surface, much as one might attempt to understand the interior structure of a bell by measuring how different parts of the surface respond as the bell is rung. By working at the South Pole it is possible to observe the sun continuously for long periods (far exceeding 100 hours) since it does not rise and set during the summer and since the weather is often clear for many days at a time. The long time period measurements are important because many of the oscillatory mode of the sun have relatively low frequencies, and so it is necessary to observe for extended periods in order to measure them accurately. The telescope makes frequent high resolution pictures of the solar surface, and the successive images are compared point by point to determine how the images have changed in brightness between images.