Video: THEMIS Animations Explain Northern Lights Phenomenon

Update to http://www.flingjore.com/2008/07/nasa-explains-dancing-northern-lights.html :

Scientists have discovered a secret to the Northern Lights, one that exposes some of the mystery behind the aurora borealis for the first time. Using a fleet of satellites, NASA researchers at the Goddard Space Flight Center observed explosions of magnetic energy that cause sudden brightenings and rapid movements that appear as a green-colored hue.

Video: Large Auroral Substorm




As a follow-up to an earlier post, NASA Explains Dancing Northern Lights, it's important to understand how space weather impacts the Earth. This video from the NASA — Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visulation Studio shows THEMIS satellite in orbit with visual lines that project the magnetic field.



This video animation shows a magnetospheric substorm, during which the reconnection causes energy to be rapidly released along the field lines causing the auroras to brighten.



Video Credits: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center — Conceptual Image Lab and NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

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