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Northern lights research enters final frontier
January 15, 2007Canadian scientists help new NASA satellite project gain a closer look at the aurora borealis
An international team of scientists — including physicists from the University of Calgary — will begin gathering the most detailed information yet about the ever-changing northern lights, as a multi-year research project enters its ultimate phase with the launch of five NASA satellites from Cape Canaveral next month.
Researchers in the U of C's Institute for Space Research will play a critical role in a five-satellite NASA mission called THEMIS (Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms) which is scheduled for launch at 6:07 pm (Eastern Time) on Feb. 15, just over a month from today. For their part in the program, the U of C's THEMIS team is operating a network of Ground-Based Observatories (GBOs) across Northern Canada. The THEMIS satellites will probe dynamic processes of astrophysical interest in near-Earth space, while the GBOs will create mosaics of the night sky, capturing changes in the northern lights that are an essential part of the information needed to answer the questions that THEMIS is targeting. The ground and space-based THEMIS observations will enable scientists to pinpoint the cause of brilliant explosions of shimmering light known as "auroral substorms."
"This is a very exciting moment for us because we are expecting to greatly enhance our understanding of these space disturbances that are both beautiful and powerful," said U of C physics professor Dr. Eric Donovan, leader of the Canadian component of THEMIS.
"The next few years are going to be very busy for us and our THEMIS colleagues at NASA and the University of California at Berkeley," Donovan said.
The U of C operates 16 GBOs located in communities across northern Canada (four more in Alaska are operated by Berkeley), which consist of automated all-sky cameras that use time lapse digital imaging and special optics to record auroras in the northern skies. The five satellites are on orbits designed so that they come together in conjunctions over central Canada every four days. During these conjunctions, the cameras will be used to determine the onset of auroral substorms, while instruments on the five satellites will provide measurements of changes in energetic particle populations and the magnetic field in space. The mission will last at least two years, during which time the GBOs will record more than 200 million photographs.
Auroras are caused by the interaction of charged particles from the sun, also known as the solar wind, with the Earth's magnetic field. Auroral substorms are the unpredictable bursts in auroral activity that take place when energy stored in the tail of the magnetic field is released and travel along magnetic lines to the polar regions where they cause spectacular displays of iridescent light. These storms are not fully understood and previous studies have not been able to determine where in the magnetosphere the energy of the solar wind transforms into explosive auroras. Auroral substorms have also been linked to disturbances of telecommunications systems on Earth and damage to satellites.
The NASA-funded THEMIS mission is led by the Space Science Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley, while the Canadian component of the project is funded by the Canadian Space Agency.
In Canada, THEMIS will ultimately involve scientists with from the Universities of Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Calgary, Athabasca University, the Canadian Space Agency, and Natural Resources Canada.
Most of the GBOs operate in small communities in the north including Whitehorse, Inuvik, Sanikiluak, and Gillam. The GBOs are run with the generous assistance of community volunteers who help monitor and maintain the equipment.
"Our custodians do a great job of looking after the cameras and playing host to our project in their communities," said THEMIS Canada deployment and site manager Mike Greffen. "They are a critical link in a large and important NASA-CSA mission."
University of Calgary
"This is a very exciting moment for us because we are expecting to greatly enhance our understanding of these space disturbances that are both beautiful and powerful," said U of C physics professor Dr. Eric Donovan, leader of the Canadian component of THEMIS.
"The next few years are going to be very busy for us and our THEMIS colleagues at NASA and the University of California at Berkeley," Donovan said.
The U of C operates 16 GBOs located in communities across northern Canada (four more in Alaska are operated by Berkeley), which consist of automated all-sky cameras that use time lapse digital imaging and special optics to record auroras in the northern skies. The five satellites are on orbits designed so that they come together in conjunctions over central Canada every four days. During these conjunctions, the cameras will be used to determine the onset of auroral substorms, while instruments on the five satellites will provide measurements of changes in energetic particle populations and the magnetic field in space. The mission will last at least two years, during which time the GBOs will record more than 200 million photographs.
Auroras are caused by the interaction of charged particles from the sun, also known as the solar wind, with the Earth's magnetic field. Auroral substorms are the unpredictable bursts in auroral activity that take place when energy stored in the tail of the magnetic field is released and travel along magnetic lines to the polar regions where they cause spectacular displays of iridescent light. These storms are not fully understood and previous studies have not been able to determine where in the magnetosphere the energy of the solar wind transforms into explosive auroras. Auroral substorms have also been linked to disturbances of telecommunications systems on Earth and damage to satellites.
The NASA-funded THEMIS mission is led by the Space Science Laboratory at the University of California at Berkeley, while the Canadian component of the project is funded by the Canadian Space Agency.
In Canada, THEMIS will ultimately involve scientists with from the Universities of Alberta, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Calgary, Athabasca University, the Canadian Space Agency, and Natural Resources Canada.
Most of the GBOs operate in small communities in the north including Whitehorse, Inuvik, Sanikiluak, and Gillam. The GBOs are run with the generous assistance of community volunteers who help monitor and maintain the equipment.
"Our custodians do a great job of looking after the cameras and playing host to our project in their communities," said THEMIS Canada deployment and site manager Mike Greffen. "They are a critical link in a large and important NASA-CSA mission."
University of Calgary
Northern Lights Current Events and Northern Lights News RSSScientists solve 30-year-old aurora borealis mystery
UCLA space scientists and colleagues have identified the mechanism that triggers substorms in space; wreaks havoc on satellites, power grids and communications systems; and leads to the explosive release of energy that causes the spectacular brightening of the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights.
Northern lights glimmer with unexpected trait
An international team of scientists has detected that some of the glow of Earth's aurora is polarized, an unexpected state for such emissions.
NASA spacecraft make new discoveries about Northern Lights
A fleet of NASA spacecraft, launched less than eight months ago, has made three important discoveries about spectacular eruptions of Northern Lights called "substorms" and the source of their power.
Unexpected cooling effect in Saturn's upper atmosphere
UK researchers from University College London (UCL), along with colleagues from Boston University, have found that the hotter than expected temperature of Saturn's upper atmosphere - and that of the other giant planets - is not due to the same mechanism that heats the atmosphere around the Earth's Northern Lights.
Chandra looks back at the Earth
In an unusual observation, a team of scientists has scanned the northern polar region of Earth with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Hundreds of auroras detected on Mars
Auroras similar to Earth's Northern Lights appear to be common on Mars, according to physicists at the University of California, Berkeley, who have analyzed six years' worth of data from the Mars Global Surveyor.
Movement of Earth's North Magnetic Pole Accelerating Rapidly
After some 400 years of relative stability, Earth's North Magnetic Pole has moved nearly 1,100 kilometers out into the Arctic Ocean during the last century and at its present rate could move from northern Canada to Siberia within the next half-century.
New observations show dynamic particle clumps in Saturn's A ring
New observations from the Cassini spacecraft now at Saturn indicate the particles comprising one of its most prominent rings are trapped in ever-changing clusters of debris that are regularly torn apart and reassembled by gravitational forces from the planet.
New Cassini images show Northern Lights of Saturn
New images of Saturn obtained by a University of Colorado at Boulder-led team on June 21 using an instrument on the Cassini spacecraft show auroral emissions at its poles similar to Earth's Northern Lights.
Little earth
Arts/science video installation to open in London (January) and Scotland (February).
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