http://www.ips.gov.au/ 

 The Learmonth Solar Observatory (LSO) is a joint venture between the Australian and US governments, with its primary function being the monitoring of variations in the sun and the near-Earth space weather.

Established in 1979, LSO is jointly staffed by four different organisations - the US Air Force Weather Agency, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the USAF 15th Communications Squadron (Maintenance), and the Australian IPS Radio and Space Services.

LSO plays host to a large number of very different telescopes, all with their gaze permanently fixed on the Sun. Solar observations are constantly taken at radio and optical wavelengths, seven days a week.

LSO conducts a number of ongoing solar and near-Earth projects, and is a critical part of the IPS Radio and Space Services Solar-Terrestrial Services, run in conjunction with a similar observatory near Narrabri (NSW).

LSO is also part of the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) helioseismic laboratory, run by the US National Optical Astronomy Observatory’s (NOAO) solar observatory: the National Solar Observatory (NSO). Six solar velocity imagers are used to monitor seismic activity on the sun.

Some of the other projects completed at LSO are ionosphere monitoring and meteor detecting.

For a more in-depth look at helioseismic activity or even just a solar flare forecast visit the IPS Radio and Space Science website. 

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