God on earth
Computer, gas cylinder, microcontroller, electronic components, gearbox motor, etc.
(2011)
Reactive sculpture that responds to solar explosions.
Working details
Every minute the computer searches the activity of the sun from a distant geostationary satellite. If this data suggests that the sun is going through a sudden increase of activity a valve is open releasing a burst of fire.
Solar data
The activity of the sun is obtained from the GOES15 geostationary satellite and it is updated every minute. This data is provided by NOAS' Space Weather Prediction Center and it is free and open.
Technology
This project has been entirely based on open source software and hardware.
It uses three pieces of code:
- A shell scrip (GeData.sh) for getting access to solar data coming from the GOES15 satellite.
- A Python script (xray.py) to process this data and to evaluate if a explosion has occurred. In this case a message will be sent via serial communication to the microcontroller.
- A third script (explosion.pde) in the custom-made Arduino microcontroller that, in case of an explosion, opens up the valve in the gas cylinder, releasing the fire.
The operating system is Ubuntu/Linux.
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Special thanks to:
Ivan López (Python and shell scripting)
Armando Daza (help with the mechanics)
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Click here to see images from the building process
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Solar explosions
Scientists classify solar explosions according to their x-ray brightness. There are 3 categories: X-class flares are big; they are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. M-class flares are medium-sized; they can cause brief radio blackouts that affect Earth's polar regions. Minor radiation storms sometimes follow an M-class flare. Compared to X- and M-class events, C-class flares are small with few noticeable consequences here on Earth.
Source: Spaceweather
