NOAA's CCOR-1: Sun Monitoring Gets a Makeover

NOAA’s Compact Coronagraph (CCOR-1) made its debut on GOES-19 on September 19, 2024, ushering in a new era of solar monitoring. This 25-kg, 22.5W instrument captures the sun's corona every 15 minutes and delivers CME data within 30 minutes—far outpacing LASCO’s 8-hour turnaround. Scheduled for full operation by spring 2025, CCOR-1 enhances space weather forecasts, protecting satellites, GPS, and power grids from solar storms. As NOAA upgrades its cosmic toolkit, expect smarter forecasts with a touch of solar sass!