Spotting the Sun New England Observatory Analysts Have Their Eyes and Radios on Solar Weather

A dreamcatcher marks the gravesite of the chief, or sagamore, of the Agawams across from the Sagamore Hill Radio Solar Observatory in Hamilton, Mass. Local legend states that youths desecrated Masconomet's gravesite a few years after his burial in 1655 and Native Americans believed the chief's spirit roamed the coastal New England area until a special ceremony was held in 1993.

Much like Masconomet was believed to keep watch over his people, solar analysts at the Sagamore Hill observatory keep their eyes and antennas focused on the sun to protect astronauts, American troops and communications from potentially damaging solar activity. A powerful solar flare could release deadly radiation and require astronauts in the International Space Station to stay in a protected part of the station. In a war zone on Earth, a communications disruption might put troops at risk during an operation. Solar analysts watch the sun for threats to communications that few people even consider in our technological world.

"No one is ever really interested in the weather until they are impacted by the weather," said Tech. Sgt. Donald R. Milliman, NCO in charge of operations. "The same is true of solar weather." Solar analysts such as Staff Sgt. Wesley R. Magnus monitor the sun's radio emissions with a radio telescope that uses three parabolic antennas of 28 feet, 8 feet and 3 feet in diameter, along with fixed semi-bicone and tracking antennas. Analysts detect and identify any sudden increases in the sun's radio energy that show solar flares and other activities that could disrupt communications.

The solar alerts provided to the Air Force Weather Agency's Space Weather Operations Center protect national space programs, including Space Shuttle operations, military surveillance and communications systems. When the radio detects an event, the analyst has two minutes to send the alert to AFWA at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Analysts at this New England outpost are anxiously waiting because the sun has been quiet in recent years.

"Sometimes the job is like a little child waiting for the first snowflakes of the year," said Sergeant Magnus. "It's about the anticipation and the waiting for something to start happening, but once it does, the go-go is a rush."

Anyone working at the observatory is no stranger to snowflakes. Snowfall and other winter weather are elements the Sagamore Hill's four sister solar observatory facilities in the Radio Solar Telescope Network don't face. The other sites are located in much warmer climates. "The Radar Site," as some locals call the observatory, is located in two buildings on a 32-acre tract of land on the steep Sagamore Hill near the New England coastal communities of Gloucester, Ipswich and Essex. The nine-person staff deals with up to 60 inches of snow a year, not to mention storms the locals call "nor'easters" and "Alberta Clippers." Sometimes, a few inches of snow might fall on Hanscom Air Force Base, 32 miles away, while Sagamore Hill could receive a foot.

Just getting to work in a winter storm is hazardous, with the ice-covered road leading up the steep hill. Two staff members had automobile accidents in the past couple of years. One person was hospitalized after a collision with a snowplow at the bottom of the hill. During the worst storms, all they can do is park at the bottom of the hill and make the half-mile trip to the building on foot. But, because someone has to watch the sun no matter what the conditions are on Earth, one of the solar analysts sometimes spends the night when a particularly bad storm is expected. During the winter, the job includes shoveling and brushing snow from the antennas and constantly monitoring the weather for heavy snowfall.

"The one thing that's definitely unique for this site is we are the only cold weather solar site," Sergeant Milliman said. "All of the other sites are in more tropical weather environments where the only thing they really have to deal with is high rain. Here, we actually deal with high winds, ice and snow, as well as heavy rain. I think it's one of the things that makes our site unique."

The observatory's location itself is crucial to its mission to get the best possible view of the sun at its highest point in the middle of the day. The Air Force Cambridge Research Lab chose the site in 1955 because of its elevation and location in the most eastern part of the United States near the Atlantic Ocean.

"One of the main reasons we sit on top of a hill, rather than flat land, is the nice view we have of the sun," Sergeant Milliman said. "Believe it or not, our location is perfect because we are somewhat protected from the elements. The tree lines protect us from the snow, except for when we get nor'easters."

Solar analysts account for only 12 to 15 of the several thousand weather specialists Air Force-wide. So, a position at one of the solar sites is somewhat of a dream job for many in the career field. Staff Sgt. Heath G. King wasn't one of those who yearned to be a weather forecaster, much less a solar analyst. Hurricanes made the Orlando, Fla., native tired of any kind of weather. As luck would have it, Sergeant King was selected as a forecaster, and after assignments at Shaw AFB, S.C., and in Korea, he found himself at the observatory in 2005.

"I came here with a complete clean slate, as far as knowledge of the general layers of the sun," Sergeant King said. "In terms of solar flares, sunspots and other activities on the sun, I learned all of that on the spot through a lot of on-the-job training, trial and error, as well as some interaction with more seasoned analysts who were here before me. I also did a lot of exploration on the Internet."

Much of the learning process came on one day--Dec. 6, 2006--a day Sergeant King expected to be another quiet one like most of the days since he arrived at the observatory.

"The analyst I was relieving told me everything was quiet. Nothing's going to happen on the sun today," he said. "About 30 minutes later, all of the alarms were going off, we were getting updates from all of the other observatories and I was trying to monitor all three computers at one time."

The intense solar flare that day, sent a tsunami-like shockwave across the visible face of the sun and caused serious disruptions in Global Positioning Systems. Solar bursts begin with a flare that sends high-energy electrons into the atmosphere. This produces radio waves that disrupt frequencies used by navigational systems.

"Primarily, the impact we're most concerned with is on satellites and the space station," Sergeant Magnus said. "These frequencies not only affect the satellites, but all ground-to-plane communications, and anything electronic that sends and receives information. For a warfighter's mission, this can affect anything electronic, including GPS systems and shortwave radios."

Sun-watchers saw little solar activity in recent years. Each solar life cycle, an 11-year period that observers note by the number and location of visible sunspots, includes periods of solar maximum and solar minimum. These are periods that indicate the frequency of solar activity. Solar experts called the current solar minimum one of the lowest on record. In 2008, no sunspots appeared in 266 days, the lowest number since there were 311 spotless days in 1913. As of March 31, 2009, sunspots showed on only 12 of the first 90 days of the year. However, solar weather experts expect the number to increase in the next few years, with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration predicting the next solar maximum in May 2013.

"When we do hit solar max, we will be ready," Sergeant Magnus said.

Tech. Sgt. Julia F. Hagen is eager for the next solar maximum cycle. Unlike most of her co-workers, Sergeant Hagen worked at other solar sites. She trained at the Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., optical solar site in 2007 before working as a solar analyst at the site in Learmonth, Australia.

"It was interesting to see both sides of solar observing at both optical and radio sites, sites, but unfortunately it's all been during solar minimum," Sergeant Hagen said. "I think it's going to be really busy and a lot more exciting during solar maximum. We will really have to be on our toes sending out messages, especially when the Space Shuttle goes up."

Information gathered by these analysts is primarily intended for the AFWA, whose staff members then pass on alerts to NASA, NOAA, United States Strategic Command, Air Force Space Command and other high-priority programs. Their data often finds a place on the Internet with research by universities and special interest groups. Unlike many of the groups that use the information for research into issues such as climate change and global warming, Air Force solar analysts are more interested in the immediate impact of solar weather.

"Just as weather forecasters are concerned primarily with day-today forecasts for flying missions, we're concerned with what's going on in the sun right now, what is going to happen tomorrow, and what has recently happened," Sergeant Magnus said. "Some of the researchers who gather our messages and analyze our data are more concerned with the long-term effects of these solar cycles and how they affect our environment."

Sagamore Hill's observatory is scheduled to automate by 2015. When that happens, solar data transmits directly to the AFWA, at Offutt AFB, Neb. From Offutt. Analysts there can pull up data from any solar observatory.

"Once they are fully automated, they will be building an essential hub at the AFWA," said Staff Sgt. Stephen S. Ensminger, assistant NCO in charge of maintenance. "The analyst will actually [have] remote access to data from anywhere in the world from this site or any other site."

The observatory's remote spot on Sagamore Hill, about 30 miles from Hanscom AFB, requires the staff to take care of its own facility. Sergeant Ensminger, Master Sgt. Yolanda Hernandez, NCO in charge of maintenance, and training supervisor Daniel Holmes are responsible for all facility maintenance, which is sometimes a challenge, considering the age of the equipment.

"Some of the parts are so old, they don't even make them anymore," Sergeant Hernandez said. "As things deteriorate over time, getting replacement parts has been a real challenge. We have to do whatever it takes to keep the equipment running."

Maintenance includes talking daily to solar analysts about how equipment is working, calibrating radios, weekly inspections and monthly equipment testing. The age of the equipment means maintainers must have a good handle on how it's working, from the antennas to the radios.

"It's kind of like having the old dial radio in your car," Sergeant Ensminger said. "You had to track it just right to get the station to come in. That's kind of how these old radios are. There is a bit of finesse that goes into tuning them."

The facility is the network's prototype solar radio site, where maintenance specialists go before they report at another site. Holmes, who leads the specialists through two weeks of initial training, takes his responsibilities seriously.

"I personally feel the importance of our radios grows every time someone puts something into space," he said. "The more satellites, vehicles and people we have up there, the more important is the job we do here. The whole world depends on us for the accuracy of their measurements and I take that very seriously."

The significance of the sacred gravesite, clearly visible from inside the Sagamore site's fence, isn't lost on the staff. Just as Masconomet's spirit watched over the Agawam people, according to Native American legend, Space Shuttle crews and combatant commanders can trust their communications capabilities because someone is keeping watch for them.