TRACE observations ; TRACE home page ; recent solar events;
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21 June 2010 - TRACE science mission terminated

On Monday, June 21, 2010, at 23:57 UT, the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) took its last science exposure after over twelve successful years on orbit. The image to the left shows the TRACE 171A exposure embedded in a nearly cotemporal SDO AIA 211/193/171 composite of the full Sun. The TRACE Small Explorer was a remarkably successful mission, with over 1000 scientific publications to date based directly or indirectly on its millions of images of the hot outermost atmosphere of the Sun. Designed for an 8-month prime mission, the instrument continued to function without significant flaws up to its last image. But its capabilities have been overtaken by the state-of-the art Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on the Solar Dynamics Observatory in all but the sharpness of its images. Hence, after a few months of joint observing to enable cross-calibration that allows SDO's AIA to build on a full solar cycle of coronal observations, it was time to part with TRACE. We thank NASA and the community for their lasting support. It has been a privilege to be associated with all of the scientists who contributed to TRACE's success; hopefully, the legacy that it leaves in the TRACE resident archive (accessible through trace.lmsal.com, as always) will continue to be a valuable asset in years to come.
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What TRACE observed: a visual target synopsis

Looking for observations of active-region disk crossings, filaments on the limb, quiet Sun, the north pole, or coronal holes with TRACE? We have multiple summaries of observations on line including a visual summary of the entire mission [until 2009/09/28 at present]. Click here 171Å) or here (white light).

The TRACE images may be used without restrictions in publications of any kind. We appreciate an acknowledgement indicating that the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer, TRACE, is a mission of the Stanford-Lockheed Institute for Space Research (a joint program of the Lockheed-Martin Advanced Technology Center's Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory and Stanford's Solar Observatories Group ), and part of the NASA Small Explorer program. More information on TRACE and other TRACE images can be found here. For further information, please contact Karel Schrijver (schryver[at]lmsal.com). Line

N.B.

By clicking on any of the thumbnail images in this collection, a browser window named ``upclose'' will be used to show a larger (often the full-resolution) version of the image. This allows the reader to view both the description and the image side by side in separate windows. The ``upclose'' window will be launched if it does not already exist. However, if that window already exists, it will not be automatically moved on top of other existing windows, nor will it be automatically shown should it have been ``minimized.'' So if it seems that nothing happens when you click on an image, the ``upclose'' window is probably hiding elsewhere on your screen.

Embedded within the image descriptions of the images are some links to short, and generally small, movies. To make it easier to find these, they are listed separately below. Clicking on ``description'' will show the page that contains the description, positioned approximately near the start of the corresponding description. Clicking on ``Movie #'' should launch a movie player; how and which one depends on the ``applications'' settings of your browser.

TRACE picture-of-the-day archive pages, and related information:

Overviews:
- thumbnail image gallery (be careful: there are a few hundred images on this page, so it will take some time, even though they are just tiny copies of the full-sized versions!);
- list of TRACEpod movies;
- access to movie materials for the DVD collection;
Image set: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36; (15MB) TRACE picture book.
Topical pages: loop oscillations; TRACE flare catalog; Venus 2004 transit; The Oct.-Nov. 2003 megaflare season; the RHESSI/SOHO/TRACE workshop cases for working group 5.
TRACE paper model (pdf), by Erik te Groen, with help from Jeff Parker.
Image of the TRACE satellite.

Direct access to TRACE movies in this collection:

Movie 1 (description): X5.7 flare on 14 July 2000 (195Å pass band)
Movie 2 (description): X5.7 flare on 14 July 2000 (three pass bands)
Movie 3 (description): Three days (23-25 Aug. 2000) in the life of AR 9139 in 1600Å
Movie 4 (description): Plage seen in 1600Å on 11 Nov. 1999
Movie 5 (description): Jets in AR 9077 in 171Å on 19 July 2000
Movie 6 (description): Corona over a rotating sunspot in AR 9114 in 171Å on 9 Aug. 2000
Movie 7 (description): Loop oscillations in AR 9143 in 171Å on 25 Aug. 2000
Movie 8 (description): A C3.3 flare and mass ejection in AR 9143 in 171Å on 28 Aug. 2000 (difference movie)
Movie 9 (description): Filament activation in AR 9192 in 171Å on 14 October 2000
Movie 10 (description): Flare, moss, and reconnection in 171Å on 2 September 1999
Movie 11 (description): Cooling loops in 171Å on 3 September 1999
Movie 12 (description): Coronal rain in different wavelengths, on 26 May 2000
Movie 13 (description): Tornadoes and fountains in a filament on 2 Aug. 2000
Movie 14 (description): Spot evolution in AR 1926 in white light on 3 June 2000
Movie 15 (description): Coronal rain after a flare in AR 9213 in 171Å on 8 Nov. 2000 (compare Movie 17).
Movie 16 (description): Filament activation in AR 9212 in 171Å on 1 Nov. 2000
Movie 17 (description): Flare in AR 9213 leading to a CME in 171Å on 8 Nov. 2000 (compare Movie 15).
Movie 18 (description): Loop evolution in AR 9077 in 195Å on 15 July 2000
Movie 19 (description): Coronal rain on in 195Å on 30 June 2000
Movie 20 (description): Filament eruption in 195Å on 20 October 1999
Movie 21 (description): Ring-shaped filament activation and eruption in 171Å on 20 September 1998
Movie 22 (description): Apparent rotation in loop fans from a triplet of sunspots, in 171Å on 20 May 2000
Movie 23 (description): Evolution of the spots and pores in AR 9373, in white light, on 13-16 March 2001.
Movie 24 (description): X-point outlined by evolving loops near AR 9373, in 171Å on 20 March 2001.
Movie 25 (description): Filament and cooling loops into a spot umbra, in AR 8667, in 195Å on 17&18 Aug. 1999.
Movie 26 (description): M1.8 flare and loop oscillations in AR 9373, in 171Å on 21 March 2001.
Movie 27 (description): Filament eruption and loop oscillations in AR 9373, in 171Å on 22 March 2001.
Movie 28 (description): Filament activation, with bright ring and hot/cool braid, in 171Å on 22 October 1999.
Movie 29 (description): Filament activation, and draining into umbra; in 171Å on 10 February 2000.
Movie 30 (description): A dynamic filament, in 171Å on 27 Nov. 1999.
Movie 31 (description): Disk passage of AR9373, 13-21 March 2001, in 171Å.
Movie 32 (description): X14.4 flare in AR9514, 15 April 2001, in 171Å.
Movie 33 (description): X14.4 flare in AR9514, 15 April 2001, in 1600Å.
Movie 35 (description): M1 flare and loop oscillations in AR9455, 15 May 2001, in 171Å.
Movie 36 (description): Small spray in AR9454, 21 May 2001, in 171Å.
Movie 37 (description): Coronal rain over AR9454, 22 May 2001, in 1216Å.
Movie 38 (description): M6.3 flare and filament eruption over AR9502, 15 June 2001, in 195Å.
Movie 39 (description): Filament eruption and loop oscillations, 15 April 2001, in 171Å.
Movie 40 (description): Spots and nests observed in a white-light disk passage, 27 July through 6 August, 2001.
Movie 41 (description): Eruption and post-flare loops over AR9566, 9 August 2001, 171Å.
Movie 42 (description): Emergence of AR 9574, 9-13 August 2001, 171Å.
Movie 43 (description): Emergence of AR 9574, 9-15 August 2001, 1600Å.
Movie 44 (description): TRACE imaging and SUMER spectroscopy.
Movie 45 (description): Surges at the limb, on 21 August 2001, 284Å.
Movie 46 (description): Filament destabilization on 7 September 2001, 171Å.
Movie 47 (description): Surge and loop evolution 18 September 2001, 171Å.
Movie 48 (description): Four interacting active regions 19-20 September 2001, 171Å.
Movie 49 (description): Coronal null: interacting active regions 17 September 2001, 171Å.
Movie 50 (description): Small filament eruption in quiet Sun, 2-3 October 2001, 171Å.
Movie 51 (description): Filament/prominence over quiet Sun, 8 October 2001, 171Å.
Movie 52 (description): Eruption over AR9682, 1 November 2001, 171Å.
Movie 53 (description): Eruption over AR9871, 20 March 2002, 171Å.
Movie 54 (description): Sunspot group in AR9690, 8-13 November 2001, white light.
Movie 55 (description): Cooling loops over AR9866, 12 March 2002, 195Å.
Movie 56 (description): Loops over AR9811, 12 September 2001, 171Å.
Movie 57 (description): M1.2 flare and loop oscillations in AR9601, 07 September 2001, 171Å.
Movie 58 (description): Eruption from AR9885, 9 April 2002, 195Å.
Movie 59 (description): X1.5 flare in AR9906, 21 April 2002, 195Å.
Movie 60 (description): evolving sunspot group in AR9715 , 28 Nov. - 6 Dec. 2001, white light.
Movie 61 (description): M2.0/C7.5 flares in AR9957, 28 May 2002, 195Å.
Movie 62 (description): Whirling loops, 11 June 2002, 171Å.
Movie 63 (description): Crossed loops, 24 May 2002, 171Å.
Movie 64 (description): X3.0 flare in AR 10030, 15 July 2002, 1600Å.
Movie 65 (description): Emerging flux within AR 10030, 12-17 July 2002, white light.
Movie 66 (description): X4.8 flare in AR 10039, 23 July 2002, 195Å (compare movie 81)
Movie 67 (description): M1.2 flare and oscillation in AR 10039, 31 July 2002, 171Å.
Movie 68 (description): Emergence of a small active region, 17-18 September 2002, 195Å.
Movie 69 (description): M2.6 flare in AR10134, 29 September 2002, 171Å.
Movie 70 (description): Prominence above AR10137, 6 October 2002, 171Å.
Movie 71 (description): Post-flare loop system above the limb, 4 August 2002, 171Å.
Movie 72 (description): Filament destabilization, 30 December 2002, 1600Å.
Movie 73 (description): Eruption at the limb (high cadence), 25 December 2002, 1600Å.
Movie 74 (description): Eruption at the limb, 17 February 2003, 195Å.
Movie 75 (description): M1.0 flare in AR 10345, 2 May 2003, 195Å.
Movie 76 (description): Mercury transit, 7 May 2003, 1600Å.
Movie 77 (description): X1.3 flare in AR10356, 28 May 2003, 1600Å.
Movie 78 (description): M2.0 flare, with loop oscillations, in AR10375, 10 June 2003, 195Å.
Movie 79 (description): M3.7 flare, with two loop eruptions, 10 June 2003, 1600Å.
Movie 80 (description): Filament eruption associated with C3.6 flare, 25 August 2003, 171Å.
Movie 81 (description): X4.8 flare, 23 July 2003, 195Å; at low contrast (compare movie 66).
Movie 82 (description): Flux emergence and reconnection in AR10455, 5-16 Sep. 2003, 171Å.
Movie 83 (description): Quiet Sun, 4 May 1998, 171Å.
Movie 84 (description): X17.2 in AR10486, 28 Oct 2003, 195Å;
- Movie 84a (description): X17.2 in AR10486, 28 Oct 2003, 195Å;
- Movie 84b (description): X17.2 in AR10486, 28 Oct 2003, 1600Å
Movie 85 (description): X17.4 in AR10486, 04 Nov 2003, 195Å.
Movie 86 (description): X17.4 in AR10486, 04 Nov 2003, 1600Å.
Movie 87 (description): Likely X-point in AR10561, 19 Feb. 2004, 171Å.
Movie 88 (description): X1.1 flare in AR10564, 26 Feb. 2004, 171Å.
Movie 89 (description): B/C flares in ARs 10581/2, 30 Mar. 2004, 195Å.
Movie 90 (description): quiet Sun and filaments on 21 April 2004, 171Å.
Movie 91 (description): Field evolution of AR628, between 627 and 629, on 9 June 2004, 171Å.
Movie 92 (description): X flare in AR10649, on 16 July 2004, 171Å.
Movie 93 (description): Jets, cooling loops, and spicules in AR10652, on 30 July 2004, 195Å.
Movie 94 (description): SVST/TRACE imagery of AR8552, on 01 June 1999, Halph/171Å/1500Å.
Movie 95 (description): Post-flare cooling loops after an X1.8 flare in AR10656 on 18 August 2004 in 171Å.
Movie 96 (description): An M1 flare near the limb showing high altitude heating and mass ejection in 195Å.; in AR10663 on 31 August 2004.
Movie 97 (description): Particle or fast object around 03:39 UT; 171Å.; on 28 August 2003.
Movie 98 (description): X2.5 flare in NOAA10696; 1600Å.; on 10 November 2004.
Movie 99 (description): X1.7 flare in NOAA10715; 1600Å.; on 1 January 2005.
Movie 100 (description): X7.9 flare in NOAA10720; 1600Å.; on 20 January 2005.
Movie 101 (description): fibril eruption on the limb; 195Å.; on 20 July 2005.
Movie 102 (description): filament eruption and M4 flare on the limb; 171Å.; on 27 July 2005.
Movie 103 (description): X1.3 flare and multiple filament eruptions in AR10792; 171Å.; on 30 July 2005.
Movie 104 (description): X5.4 flare and successors in AR10808; 171Å.; on 08/09 September 2005.
Movie 105 (description): Filament eruption; 171Å.; on 16 June 2005.
Movie 106 (description): Filament eruption; 171Å.; on 27 July 2005.
Movie 107 (description): Grazing eclipse; 171Å.; on 03 October 2005.
Movie 108 (description): Filament forming; 171Å.; on 13/14 April 2000.
Movie 109 (description): Spot/pore group evolving; WL; on 15-20 January 2006.
Movie 110 (description): Filament activation, B2 flare, and coronal dimming; on 7 March 2006.
Movie 111 (description): AR interaction and minor eruption; 171Å; on 7 April 2006.
Movie 112 (description): AR 10872, 171Å; on 19 April 2006.
Movie 113 (description): M7.9 flare in AR 10875, 195Å; on 27 April 2006.
Movie 114 (description): Filament activation in AR 10875, 195Å; on 3 May 2006.
Movie 115 (description): Filament eruption and M2.5 flare in AR 10898, 171Å; on 6 July 2006.
Movie 116 (description): M1.8 flare in AR 10763, 171Å; on 17 May 2005.
Movies 117 and 118 (description)): north solar limb in 1550Å on 2006, August 15 and 17.
Movie 119 (description)): AR10910 in visible light, on 2006, Sep. 21 and 22.
Movie 120 (description)): AR10910 in 171Å on 2006, Sep. 21.
Movie 121 (description)): AR10930 in white light, from 2006/12/06 until 2006/12/19.
Movie 122 (description)): M1 flare and prominence activation in AR9628, in 171Å, on 2001/09/30.
Movie 123 (description)): AR10941, in 195Å, 2007/02/04-2007/02/08.
Movie 124 (description)): AR10944, in 171Å, 2007/03/02 4:28-6:25 UT.
Movie 125 (description)): AR near W limb, in 171Å, 2007/03/13 00-11 UT.
Movie 126 (description)): eruption in AR10956 near W limb, in 171Å, 2007/05/23 07-08 UT.
Movie 127 (description)): evolution of AR10961, in white light, 2007/06/29 - 2007/07/05.
Movie 128 (description)): field activation, observed in 171&ARing; on 2007/07/18 17-18UT.
Movie 129 (description)): eclipse, observed in 1600&ARing; on 2007/09/11 11UT.
Movie 130 (description)): small, unnumbered AR with multiple flares and dimmings, 2008/02/12 in 171Å.
Movie 131 (description)): small AR with quiet-coronal evolution, 2008/04/16 in 171Å.
Movie 132 (description)): small, coronal dimming over an ephemeral region on 2008/11/11 in 171Å.
Movie 133 (description)): small, active region with spots and pores emerging and evolving on 2009/01/10-11 in 1700Å.
Movie 134 (description)): lunar transit on 2009/01/26 in 171Å.
Movie 135 (description)): coronal wave from an ephemeral region on 2009/03/18 in 171Å.
Movie 136 (description)): quiet-Sun filament eruptions near limb on 2009/03/17 in 171Å.
Movie 137 (description)): very small quiet-Sun filament on the disk on 2009/03/31 in 171Å.
Movie 138 (description)): two active regions at the limb with a small filament activation on 2009/05/08 in 171Å.
Movie 139 (description)): lunar transit seen by TRACE in 1600Å on 2009/07/22.
Movie 140 (description)): small, quiet-Sun limb filament observed by TRACE in 171Å on 2009/08/18.
Movie 141 (description)): ARs 11034 and neighboring (emerging) 11035 in 171Å from 2009/12/12 12:49UT through 2009/12/17 16:54.
Movie 142 (description)): ARs 11034 and neighboring (emerging) 11045 in 195Å on 2010/02/10 from 12 UT to 17 UT, showing a C3.7 flare and loop motions before and after.
Movie 143 (description)): a contained filament eruption in AR 11048, observed in 195Å, on 2010/02/18 around 01 UT.

SUNSCAPES:

Image gallery as shown during an exhibition at the National Academy of Sciences in 2002.
Image gallery as shown during an exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in 2005.
The SUNSCAPE images are marketed by Calypso Inc. (independent of our research group) at a dedicated web site

Links to TRACE information, publications, etc.:

TRACE home page
Introductory slide set on the TRACE mission: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.
TRACE educational CD-ROM (www copy)
TRACE picture of the day
TRACE latest movies
TRACE operations plans
TRACE scientific publications
Access select scientific results
A set of 14 viewgraphs (gzip/postscript; 10MB; 60MB decompressed)

TRACE observations ; TRACE home page ; recent solar events; TRACE/MDI/PFSS/... comparisons; TRACE movie collection; TRACE flare collection; TRACE location