Ground-based Synoptic Studies of the Sun

TL;DR

This paper emphasizes the importance of ground-based synoptic solar observations for understanding the Sun's large-scale heliospheric environment, especially in the context of upcoming advanced observational capabilities.

Contribution

It advocates for a coordinated ground-based observation network to complement new space missions, enabling a physics-based approach to Space Weather forecasting.

Findings

Ground-based observations provide essential context for heliospheric modeling.

Upcoming telescopes will study solar processes with unprecedented detail.

A coordinated network enhances understanding of Sun-heliosphere linkages.

Abstract

Ground-based synoptic solar observations provide critical contextual data used to model the large-scale state of the heliosphere. The next decade will see a combination of ground-based telescopes and space missions that will study our Sun's atmosphere microscopic processes with unprecedented detail. This white paper describes contextual observations from a ground-based network needed to fully exploit this new knowledge of the underlying physics that leads to the magnetic linkages between the heliosphere and the Sun. This combination of a better understanding of small-scale processes and the appropriate global context will enable a physics-based approach to Space Weather comparable to Terrestrial Weather forecasting.