The GOES Solar X-ray Imager

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) is a Wolter Type I grazing incidence X-ray telescope deployed on the GOES 12 spacecraft. The SXI instrument (103 kb GIF image) is designed to obtain a continuous sequence of coronal x-ray images at a 1-minute cadence with a 512X512 intensified CCD. Broadband filters are employed to obtain images at several wavelength bands between about 6 and 60 Å. These images are used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Environment Center (NOAA/SEC) and the broader community to monitor solar activity for its effects on the Earth's upper atmosphere and near space environment. Dr. John Davis of the MSFC Solar Physics Branch is Project Scientist for SXI.

GOES 12 was launched on July 23, 2001 at 3:23 a.m. EDT atop an Atlas 2A rocket. Approximately one hour after launch, the spacecraft deployed its electricity-generating, solar array. GOES 12 became fully operational on 1003 April 22.

 SXI images may be obtained from the National Geophysical Data Center.

Solar Interior Web Links

NOAA/SXI