Solar physics Space weather Stories for all audiences

Solar physics / Space weather: Stories for all audiences Robert Irion, Director Science Communication Program University of California, Santa Cruz irion@ucsc. edu

Stories about the sun have a built-in public audience • We all see and feel the sun; it’s the only sensory astronomical body • It’s the most-observed object in space • Spectacular images; dynamic impacts • The audience: Everyone! Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Space weather is a natural, compelling detective story • Unraveling complex, mysterious events • Searching for clues, both visible and hidden (to our eyes) • Figuring out cause and effect • Preparing for possible calamity • Lots of verbs; editors love verbs Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Solar images and movies: Amazing! We now live in a visual media environment • • Solar Dynamics Observatory Ground-based adaptive optics Aurorae Space weather simulations Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

“Something New Under the Sun, ” Smithsonian, April 2011 Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

First published Dec. 2010 (cover) Smithsonian space collection Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Opening spread Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Science for science-phobic readers Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Science for science-phobic readers Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Good stories have vivid characters Karel Schrijver Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory Palo Alto, Calif. “When we show these movies to our colleagues for the first time, the professional expression is generally, ‘Whoa!’” Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Good stories have vivid characters Philip Scherrer Stanford University “We fundamentally don’t know. ” Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Space weather impacts: Inevitable. We’re vulnerable. • 2008 National Research Council Report • “The space around us isn’t as benign, friendly, and accommodating to our technology as we had assumed. ” —Karel Schrijver • “The Sun is a highly variable star. We live in its outer atmosphere, and the cyber-electric cocoon that surrounds Earth is subject to its whims. We’d better come to terms with that. ” —Daniel Baker / U. Colorado Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Scientists are people, too. Readers like to see that. • Be available to reporters • Share your stories, your frustrations, your revelations • Convey why this research matters to you, and why it should matter to us • Keep your audience in mind Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Please: Avoid plasma magnetohydrodynamics • Use analogies and metaphors, especially for younger audiences • We’re figuring out how a star works; that’s irresistible • Have visuals at hand; reporters will “get it, ” and readers will pass them along Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

Space weather gets a ton of coverage! Knight Science Journalism Tracker, June 8, 2011 ksjtracker. mit. edu Associated Press, Washington Post, Space. com, National Geographic News, USA Today, Sky & Telescope, etc. Robert Irion / SWEF 2011 21 June 2011

AAS Solar Physics Division news Knight Science Journalism Tracker, June 15, 2011 ksjtracker. mit. edu Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011 Time, AP, New York Times, MSNBC, Discover, New Scientist, Science News, LA Times, Telegraph (UK), Register (UK), AFP, and many more

Top story on Yahoo! news aggregator Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011

http: //scicom. ucsc. edu Robert Irion / irion@ucsc. edu SWEF / 21 June 2011