IRIS
The primary goal of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) explorer is to understand how the solar atmosphere is energized. The IRIS investigation combines advanced numerical modeling with a high resolution UV imaging spectrograph, focused on the thin transition region at the base of the corona. In this region, the temperature of the sun's plasma jumps from several thousands of degrees to over a million degrees, in the space of just a few hundred kilometers. IRIS is a collaboration with leading academic and industry entities around the world.
MSU personnel involved
Charles Kankelborg, Larry Springer, Christina Dunn, Janet Glenn, Stefan Eccles (undergrad), Joseph Shaw (EE), Nathan Pust (EE), Angela DesJardins (MSGC), Randy Larimer (MSGC)
IRIS Mission website
MSGC national student spectrograph competition
http://www.spacegrant.montana.edu/iris-home.html