NASA Rocket Experiment Supercharges Aurora Display in Alaska

Only when you think the North Lights can no longer be amazing, together NASA came to criticize the dial to 11.

Space Agency blasted three rockets sounded on Central and North Alaska The auroral substance To study how these substances affect the earth’s atmosphere. The project, named Auroral waves are excited by the events of the onset magnet (great)led by researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).

In the first appearance on March 25, the research team released a 42 -foot rocket in the middle of Alaska and a 70 -foot rocket in the Arctic Ocean. Both rockets release their load -think ion guages, magnetometers, and steam chasers; The latter produces colored gas puffs -in the auroral substrate. The result: A light show that produces beautiful blue and purple lines against the green and pink auroras background.

The third rocket, launched on March 29, created a very different light show thanks to the wrong load valve. Instead of tying the sky, there is an amazing double ring hanging in the night sky in bright white gradient.

“The ring is great. It is very bright and true -is unacceptable,” said Mark Conde, professor of space physics at the UF, the word in the broadcast. “Anyone who was outside at that time and looked up would be treated with a visual, amazing and exciting display in the sky.”

Despite the last beautiful Rocket mistakes, the data collected by the mission was considered successful. The team will study the results to better understand the dynamics of auroral activity in the upper atmosphere and their potential effects on satellite -based device orbit, such as GPS.

“This launch is a great achievement in the quest to continue to examine the effects of Auroras and potentially improve space weather forecasts,” said Aly Mendoza-Hill, an executive of the NASA program.