Suggested topics

Suggested topics

Participants should prepare an infographic about any aspect of solar research, solar observations, the European Solar Telescope, or Sun-Earth relations. The topic is free. However, we have compiled an extensive list of possible subjects as examples of the wide variety of themes that can be worked out by the participants.

Download the list of suggested topics as a PDF file here.

General categories

Detailed topics by categories

The Sun as a star

Physical properties
Chemical composition
Luminosity
Rotation
Nuclear reactions
Temperature structure
Heliosphere
Life cycle
The future of the Sun

The Sun as a physics laboratory

Gravity
Nuclear reactions
Energy transport
Convection
Radiation
Conduction
Electromagnetic radiation
Solar spectrum
Black body emission
Spectral lines
Polarisation
Magnetic fields
Magnetic flux
Zeeman effect
Hanle effect
Magnetic reconnection
Evershed flow

Sun structure

Overview
Nucleus
Radiative zone
Convective zone
Tacholine
Atmosphere

Solar atmosphere

Overview
Photosphere
Chromosphere
Transition Region
Corona
Solar wind
Atmospheric heating

Solar magnetic fields

Active regions
Magnetic flux tubes
Magnetic network
Internetwork magnetic fields
Local dynamo
Magnetic flux emergence

Solar features

Coronal loops
Coronal rain
Faculae
Fibrils
Filaments
Granulation
Helmet streamers
Intergranular lanes
Magnetic bright points
Magnetic network
Polar regions
Pores
Prominences
Quiet Sun
Quiet Sun internetwork
Solar tornados
Spicules
Sunspots
Sunspot light bridges
Sunspot penumbra
Sunspot umbra
Umbral dots
Umbral flashes
X-Ray polar jets

Solar eclipses

The eruptive Sun

Coronal mass ejections
Ellerman bombs
Filament eruptions
Flares
Microflares
Nanoflares
UV bursts
White light flares

Solar cycle

Overview
Active regions
Activity belt
Wolf number
Hale’s polarity law
Butterfly diagram
Maunder minimum
Origin - Solar dynamo

Space weather

Flares
Coronal mass ejections
Solar wind
Geomagnetic storms
Auroras
Effects on Earth

Sun-Earth relations

Sun as an energy source
The solar constant
Milankovic cycles
Habitability zone
Photosynthesis

Solar observatories

Coimbra Observatory
Debrecen Observatory
Greenwich Observatory
Istituto Ricerche Solari (IRSOL)
Kanzelhöhe Observatory
Kodaikanal Observatory
Lomnicky Stit Observatory
Observatoire de Paris-Meudon
Observatoire du Pic du Midi
Osservatorio Astronomico di Catania
Ossservatorio Astronomico di Roma
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
Specola Solare Ticinese
Teide Observatory

Solar telescopes

Dutch Open Telescope
Einsteinturm
GREGOR
IRSOL Gregory Coudé Telescope
Swedish Solar Telescope
THÉMIS
Vacuum Tower Telescope

Space missions

Solar Orbiter
SOHO
SUNRISE
Hinode
Solar Dynamics Observatory
Parker Solar Probe

European Solar Telescope

Overview
Scientific objectives
New technologies
Instrument suite
Site selection
Consortium

Solar instruments

CCD camera
sCMOS camera
Interference filter
Spectrograph
Polarimeter
Fabry-Pérot interferometer
Lyot filter
Coronograph

Telescope systems

Types of solar telescopes
Optical system
Primary mirror
Secondary mirror
Heat rejecter
Optical transfer system
Building
Dome
Coelostat

Solar observations

Getting rid of heat
Seeing
Minimising seeing
Adaptive optics
Spectroscopy
Spectropolarimetry
Magnetogram
Dopplergram
Common chromospheric lines
Common photospheric lines
Halpha line
Ca II H line
Helioseismology

Solar history

Ancient observatories
First solar photograph
First solar film
First observation of a CME
First observation of a flare

Famous solar physicists

Angelo Secchi
Annie Maunder
Bernard Lyot
Cecilia Payne
Christoph Scheiner
Edward Maunder
Galileo Galilei
George Ellery Hale
Gustav Spörer
Heinrich Schwabe
Isaac Newton
Johannes Fabricius
Johannes Kepler
John Evershed
Joseph Norman Lockyer
Joseph von Fraunhofer
Juan Valderrama y Aguilar
Jules Janssen
Lorenzo Respighi
Nicolaus Copernicus
Pietro Tacchini
Richard Carrington
Rudolf Wolf

Societal aspects

The Sun in ancient cultures
Solar temples
Mythology
Legends
Beliefs
Religion
Artistic representations