Science with Hinode
In September 2006 the solar space observatory Hinode (Japanese for
sunrise) was launched. The project is led by the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA) together with the National Astronomical
Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and contributions from the United States
and the United Kingdom. The European Space Agency (ESA) is providing
ground station coverage through the Svalbard Satellite Station in
Norway. The Hinode satellite carries a solar optical telescope (SOT),
a X-ray telescope (XRT), and an EUV imaging spectrometer
(EIS). Together, these permit an investigation of the interior of the Sun,
and all atmospheric regions, from the photosphere and chromosphere to
the corona, addressing the origin of the Sun's magnetic field, the
driving force behind solar eruptive events, and the nature of the hot
corona.
As a recognition of the impact provided by the new solar observations using HINODE, we publish a ``special feature'' in this issue. It consists of 18 letters which document these new results.
H. Peter