NASA Logo in the header
Heliophysics Science Division
Operational

Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS)

Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) fills a crucial gap in NASA's ability to advance Sun-Earth connection studies.

Launch Date

June 2013

Class

--

Websites


Key Staff

Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) fills a crucial gap in our ability to advance Sun-Earth connection studies by tracing the flow of energy and plasma into the corona and heliosphere for which no suitable observations exist. IRIS obtains high, resolution UV spectra and images of the sun's chromosphere, specifically on the non-thermal energy that creates the Corona and the Solar Wind; i.e., Space Weather. IRIS is a Principal Investigator (PI) led Small Explorer Mission; PI is Alan Title located at Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory.

Related Publications

2025. "Probing Progression of Heating Through the Lower Flare Atmosphere via High-cadence IRIS Spectroscopy.", The Astrophysical Journal, 986 (1): 73 [10.3847/1538-4357/adccc8] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "Solar Flare Ribbon Fronts. II. Evolution of Heating Rates in Individual Flare Footpoints.", The Astrophysical Journal, 970 (1): 21 [10.3847/1538-4357/ad47e1] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "An optically thin view of the flaring chromosphere: non-thermal widths in a chromospheric condensation during an X-class solar flare.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 527 (2): 2523-2548 [10.1093/mnras/stad3135] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Extreme Red-wing Enhancements of UV Lines during the 2022 March 30 X1.3 Solar Flare.", The Astrophysical Journal, 958 (1): 67 [10.3847/1538-4357/acf8c6] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Centre-to-limb variations in coronal hole and quiet sun regions obtained with IRIS spectroscopic observations.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 526 (1): 383-390 [10.1093/mnras/stad2761] [Journal Article/Letter]