Welcome to the Sun Earth Plan Website

2007-8 marks the 50th Anniversary of the International Geophysical Year, 1957-58. One of the memorable events during IGY was the launch of Sputnik in 1957, the world’s first artificial satellite. IGY heralded the modern space era.

This year, scientists and engineers from all 191 Member States of the United Nations are participating in an international campaign to learn more about the Earth, the Sun and our environment. 2007-8 has been designated the International Heliophysical Year, or IHY. (Helios was the ancient Greek name for the Sun.) A key objective of IHY is to celebrate the beauty, relevance and significance of space and Earth sciences to the world.

The UK hosts a vibrant solar-terrestrial physics (STP) community with an enviably high profile in the international research arena. They are also involved in a dazzling array of space research projects, from earth orbiting satellites and ground-based experiments to far-ranging planetary probes and landers. SUN EARTH PLAN celebrates Britain’s pivotal role in space science.