Substorms
This animation shows a magnetospheric substorm, during which the reconnection causes energy to be rapidly released along the field lines causing the auroras to brighten.
Earth's magnetic field lines including plasma.
![Coronal mass ejection hitting the bow shock. Coronal mass ejection hitting the bow shock.](/static/svs/images/no_preview_web_black.png)
Coronal mass ejection hitting the bow shock.
![Changes in Earth's magnetic field lines as a result of the coronal mass ejection. Changes in Earth's magnetic field lines as a result of the coronal mass ejection.](/static/svs/images/no_preview_web_black.png)
Changes in Earth's magnetic field lines as a result of the coronal mass ejection.
![Reconnection of the magnetic field lines. Reconnection of the magnetic field lines.](/static/svs/images/no_preview_web_black.png)
Reconnection of the magnetic field lines.
![Plasma after the magnetic field line reconnection. Plasma after the magnetic field line reconnection.](/static/svs/images/no_preview_web_black.png)
Plasma after the magnetic field line reconnection.
![The plasma encountering the Earth's atmosphere, causing auroras. The plasma encountering the Earth's atmosphere, causing auroras.](/static/svs/images/no_preview_web_black.png)
The plasma encountering the Earth's atmosphere, causing auroras.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center- Conceptual Image Lab
-
Animator
- Walt Feimer (HTSI)
Release date
This page was originally published on Wednesday, January 17, 2007.
This page was last updated on Monday, July 15, 2024 at 12:12 AM EDT.