Posted on 12/11/2007 4:57:54 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SAN FRANCISCO - Scientists think they have discovered the energy source of the spectacular color displays seen in the northern lights. New data from NASA's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites launched this winter, found the energy comes from a stream of charged particles from the sun flowing like a current through twisted bundles of magnetic fields connecting Earth's upper atmosphere to the sun.
The energy is then abruptly released in the form of a shimmering display of lights visible in the upper latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, said principal investigator Vassilis Angelopoulos of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Results were presented Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting.
In March, the satellites detected a burst of northern lights, or auroras borealis, over Alaska and Canada. During the two-hour light show, the satellites measured particle flow and magnetic fields from space.
To scientists' surprise, the geomagnetic storm powering the auroras raced 400 miles in a minute across the sky. Angelopoulos estimated the storm's power was equal to the energy released by a magnitude 5.5 earthquake.
"Nature was very kind to us," Angelopoulos said.
Although researchers have suspected the existence of wound-up bundles of magnetic fields that provide energy for the auroras, the phenomenon was not confirmed until May, when the satellites became the first to map their structure some 40,000 miles above the Earth's surface.
Scientists hope the satellites will record a geomagnetic storm next year that's now in the making, and end the debate about when the storms are triggered.
A band of Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, stretches over the Chugach Range near Palmer, Alaska in this February file photo. Scientists think they have discovered the energy source of the spectacular color displays seen in the northern lights. (AP Photo/Bob Martinson, FILE)
Yupper..
That is what parents have been telling their children for years. The satellites no doubt have collected some interesting data, but the description in the article conveys none of this since it would require -- mathematics.
The red ones are somewhat rare and when they show up the pattern moves incredibly fast. Usually it is a band or two of the pale green stuff and then it spreads out and fades to a kind of general skyglow.
That was taken by me from my back yard in Upstate NY
That is rare to be so far south. They are overhead here in Fairbanks all the time.
The ‘01 solar maximum was outstanding...
Aurora predictions are part of our daily weatherman’s report. Typical: Increasing clouds, then wind over the hills, then chance of snow and then clearing with chance of moderate aurora and 15 below zero.
BTW, I believe that when the aurora moves south to places like NY it is because of greater energy. That might not be correct, but normally they are directly overhead and I assume normal energy levels. A good bright show will be either slow and fuzzy or very lively, which I believe is due to the type of particles in the stream—electrons or nuclei.
Electric Universe ping
I wish we could see that here — I did see a “green” occurence in 1987 (?) in northern Florida.
Both the city lights and the auroras are created by electric circuits. If there is no circuit, there will be no light. Our experience tells us where to look for every stage of the circuit that connects city lights. And we know that if we break that circuit at any point along its way, the city lights will fail. But we've only had the technology to observe the auroral circuits in space for a few decades. How long before our new experiences find a way to trace the circuits of all the electrical currents in space?
Beautiful.
I grew up in upstate NY and saw them fairly frequently.
But the absolute most spectacular I ever saw was in Western Ontario in a small town called Dryden. Reds and greens and blues, the whole sky was alive.
I think there you are basically right under them because the magnetic north pole is a bit northwest of Hudson bay.
Aurora Australis in a crowing glory from Alair, TImaru, New Zealand
Aurora crowns Jupiters North Pole.
Auroral activity strongly correlates with solar activity. Peak activity repeats on an 11-year cycle.
May be of interest.
Something besides the sun?
EVEN PRIOR SCIENCE MUST BOW BEFORE THE SCIENCE HIGH PRIEST NASA
Scientists think they have discovered the energy source of the spectacular color displays seen in the northern lights. New data from NASA's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites ...Oh, geesh, we've known what caused the auroras since soon after Marconi. We were able to see the solar plasma rolling trapped in the magnetic belts as the characteristic radio noises it makes -- the whistles and pops we hear in the AM band.To scientists' surprise, the geomagnetic storm powering the auroras raced 400 miles in a minute across the sky ... "Nature was very kind to us," Angelopoulos said. ...
Although researchers have suspected the existence of wound-up bundles of magnetic fields that provide energy for the auroras, the phenomenon was not confirmed until May, when the satellites became the first to map their structure some 40,000 miles above the Earth's surface.
This has been well understood for nearly a century now. At least before NASA. But now, oh golly gee, it wasn't official, only "suspected". NASA and only Science and Nature's High Priest NASA can declare what Science and Nature are.
Amen. / sarc
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
