Sun ID: 12040

NASA Observes Auroras Across Canada

Released on November 4, 2015

These aurora images were taken from the ground looking up with a network of all-sky cameras spread across Canada, studying auroras in collaboration with NASA’s Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms, or THEMIS, mission. Taking images of aurora from the ground in conjunction with satellite data taken from above the atmosphere gives scientists a more comprehensive picture of how and why the aurora form. The ground-based camera network is also observing this week’s auroras.

The aurora data is provided courtesy of S. Mende at University California Berkeley and E. Donovan at the University of Calgary, logistical support in fielding and data retrieval from the ground-based stations is provided by the Canadian Space Agency. The array of aurora images is funded by NSF in support of GIMNAST through grant AGS-1004736.

Credit: NASA/CSA/University of California, Berkeley/University of Calgary/NSF

The dancing lights in the video are the aurora borealis or Northern Lights. These auroras are at their most dynamic during geomagnetic storms—often the result of solar storms called coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, that originate from the sun. The aurora shown above occurred as the result of a CME that erupted from the sun early on Mar. 15, 2013. Some 46 hours later, early on Mar. 17, 2013, this CME struck Earth’s magnetic field, depositing and storing energy in Earth’s magnetosphere. When this energy was released, charged particles from the magnetosphere were sent rushing down towards Earth’s atmosphere where they collided with neutral particles, creating the brilliant aurora.

Rather than being caused by a CME, this week’s auroras are the result of a high-speed solar wind stream flowing from what’s called a coronal hole—an area where the sun’s magnetic field opens and thus has lower density allowing solar material to escape. Once it arrives, a high-speed solar wind stream effects the magnetosphere similar to a CME, sending charged particles rocketing down towards Earth’s surface, where they collide with the atmosphere and create glowing auroras.

For More Information

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/nasa-observes-auroras-across-canada

Credits

Scott Wiessinger (USRA): Producer
Sarah Frazier (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Lead Writer

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/CSA/University of California, Berkeley/University of Calgary/NSF

Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/12040

Mission:
THEMIS

Keywords:
SVS >> Space Weather
SVS >> Hyperwall
SVS >> THEMIS
SVS >> Heliophysics
NASA Science >> Sun
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Sun-earth Interactions >> Ionosphere/Magnetosphere Dynamics >> Aurorae
GCMD >> Earth Science >> Sun-earth Interactions >> Solar Activity >> Coronal Mass Ejections

GCMD keywords can be found on the Internet with the following citation: Olsen, L.M., G. Major, K. Shein, J. Scialdone, S. Ritz, T. Stevens, M. Morahan, A. Aleman, R. Vogel, S. Leicester, H. Weir, M. Meaux, S. Grebas, C.Solomon, M. Holland, T. Northcutt, R. A. Restrepo, R. Bilodeau, 2013. NASA/Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Earth Science Keywords. Version 8.0.0.0.0