Space.com is reporting that a fleet of NASA spacecraft launched less than eight months ago has revealed new insights into the forces that cause the northern lights, including giant magnetic “ropes” between Earth and the sun. Understanding the cause of auroras will help scientists solve the mystery around solar flares and what causes them and get a handle on the outer space weather. I don’t so much understand the geo-physics of why the solar winds slams into the earth’s magnetic field in the magnetosphere. I’m simply enamoured by the spectacular shows, gallery here and here. Chasing Auroras? I could take this for a living!
Photograph by Phil Hoffman