Leonard Strachan facts for kids

Leonard Strachan is an American scientist who studies space, especially the Sun. He is an astrophysicist and a solar physicist. His work focuses on building special tools to learn more about the Sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona, and the stream of particles it sends out, known as the solar wind. He currently works at the United States Naval Research Laboratory. There, he leads an important project called the Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder. He also helps guide space science in the United States by serving on a committee for the National Academy of Sciences.

What is an Astrophysicist?

An astrophysicist is a scientist who studies the universe. They use physics and astronomy to understand how stars, planets, and galaxies work. Dr. Strachan specializes in solar physics, which means he focuses specifically on our Sun. He wants to know how the Sun creates energy and how its activity affects Earth and the rest of our solar system.

Studying the Sun's Atmosphere

The Sun is a giant ball of hot gas. It has different layers, just like Earth has an atmosphere.

• The photosphere is the part of the Sun we see. It's the bright surface.
• The chromosphere is a thin layer above the photosphere.
• The corona is the Sun's outermost atmosphere. It's much hotter than the surface of the Sun, which is a mystery scientists are still trying to solve. The corona can only be seen during a total solar eclipse or with special telescopes.

The Solar Wind

The Sun constantly sends out a stream of charged particles into space. This stream is called the solar wind. It travels through our solar system and can affect things like Earth's magnetic field and even satellites in space. Dr. Strachan studies the solar wind to understand how it forms and how it travels.

Tools for Solar Exploration

To study the Sun's corona and solar wind, scientists need special instruments. These tools are often placed on spacecraft or satellites that orbit Earth or even travel closer to the Sun.

The UVSC Pathfinder

Dr. Strachan is the main scientist for a project called the Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

• Ultraviolet: This refers to a type of light that we cannot see with our eyes. The Sun gives off a lot of ultraviolet light.
• Spectro-Coronagraph: This is a special telescope that can block out the bright light from the Sun's surface. This allows scientists to see the much fainter corona. It also uses a spectrograph to break down the light into different colors, which helps scientists understand what the corona is made of and how fast its gases are moving.
• Pathfinder: This means it's a test mission. It helps scientists try out new technology and ideas before building a bigger, more expensive mission.

This instrument helps scientists measure how fast the solar wind is moving when it leaves the Sun. This information is very important for understanding space weather, which can affect our technology on Earth.

A Role in Science Leadership

Besides his research, Dr. Strachan also helps guide science policy. He serves on the Committee on Solar and Space Physics for the National Academy of Sciences. This is a very important group of scientists who advise the United States government on science and technology. They help decide what research is important and how to best support scientific discoveries.

Education and Background

Dr. Strachan studied at two well-known universities:

• He earned his first degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1982.
• He then went on to Harvard University, where he earned his advanced degree in 1990. His research there focused on measuring the speed of gases flowing out of the Sun's corona.

His work helps us better understand our closest star, the Sun, and how it affects our planet and the space around us.