1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,200 The category for Final Jeopardy! is the Sun-Earth Connection. 2 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:21,080 And the answer is, the ghostly light that produces the dance of colors in the night 3 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:24,400 sky in the Northern Hemisphere. 4 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:29,640 The correct question of course, what is the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights? 5 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,720 Hello everyone, I'm Alex Trebek, the host of the popular quiz show, Jeopardy! 6 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:38,520 You know, as a child growing up in Northern Ontario, Canada, I was always fascinated about 7 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:40,840 the mystery of the Northern Lights. 8 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:47,320 In this episode of NASA Connect, host Jennifer Pulley and special co-host Dr. Stan Odenwald 9 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:51,640 will take you all on an adventure to explore the Aurora Borealis. 10 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,860 You'll learn about the many legends and myths that revolve around the Aurora throughout 11 00:00:55,860 --> 00:00:57,920 the history of mankind. 12 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:03,500 You'll also learn how NASA scientists and engineers use satellite technology to measure 13 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:06,040 and analyze aurora data. 14 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:11,060 You'll visit Norwegian scientists at the ANOIA rocket range located just inside the Arctic 15 00:01:11,060 --> 00:01:13,100 Circle in Norway. 16 00:01:13,100 --> 00:01:18,740 And in your classroom, you'll use data analysis and measurement to plot the auroral oval and 17 00:01:18,740 --> 00:01:22,260 to determine the heights of the Northern Lights. 18 00:01:22,260 --> 00:01:27,280 All in this episode of NASA Connect, Dancing in the Night Sky. 19 00:01:52,280 --> 00:02:00,280 Hi, welcome to NASA Connect, the show that connects you to math, science, technology 20 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:01,280 and NASA. 21 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:02,280 I'm Jennifer Pulley. 22 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,800 And I'm Stan Odenwald, an astronomer at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. 23 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:11,360 On this episode of NASA Connect, we are filming on location in Norway, a Scandinavian country 24 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,040 located in Northern Europe. 25 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:18,320 Today, Stan and I are at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, Norway. 26 00:02:18,380 --> 00:02:23,780 And right beside us is an ancient Viking burial ship called the Osseberg, and you know, it 27 00:02:23,780 --> 00:02:25,980 dates back to the 9th century. 28 00:02:25,980 --> 00:02:26,980 Wow. 29 00:02:26,980 --> 00:02:28,540 So Stan, let's fill them in. 30 00:02:28,540 --> 00:02:29,540 Why are we in Norway? 31 00:02:29,540 --> 00:02:32,740 Because Norway is one of the best countries in the world to see the Northern Lights. 32 00:02:32,740 --> 00:02:35,580 Or the Aurora Borealis. 33 00:02:35,580 --> 00:02:41,100 Aurora was a Roman goddess of the dawn, and boreal is a Latin word meaning north, thus 34 00:02:41,100 --> 00:02:42,100 the Northern Lights. 35 00:02:42,100 --> 00:02:46,020 There's a lot of folklore about the Northern Lights, and various cultures from around the 36 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:51,080 world have explained them as dancing spirits or blood raining from the clouds. 37 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:57,080 The Vikings believed the Northern Lights were beings reflected from the shields of the Valkyries, 38 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,880 female warriors serving their god Odin. 39 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:05,480 The aboriginals of Scandinavia, or the Sami, believed that the Northern Lights had supernatural 40 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,740 powers to resolve conflicts. 41 00:03:07,740 --> 00:03:11,080 The Sami painted auroral symbols on their magic drums. 42 00:03:11,140 --> 00:03:15,220 In Middle Age Europe, the Northern Lights were thought to be reflections of heavenly 43 00:03:15,220 --> 00:03:16,220 warriors. 44 00:03:16,220 --> 00:03:20,820 As a reward, the soldiers that gave their lives for their king or country were allowed 45 00:03:20,820 --> 00:03:23,100 to battle on the skies forever. 46 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:29,180 There are so many myths, legends, and superstitions that have revolved around the Northern Lights 47 00:03:29,180 --> 00:03:31,100 throughout the history of mankind. 48 00:03:31,100 --> 00:03:35,380 By the mid-1800s, scientists finally began to explain many of their mysteries. 49 00:03:35,380 --> 00:03:39,720 Like lightning or earthquakes, they are natural events, not supernatural ones. 50 00:03:39,740 --> 00:03:43,860 By the turn of the 20th century, scientists actually created artificial aurora in their 51 00:03:43,860 --> 00:03:44,860 laboratories. 52 00:03:44,860 --> 00:03:50,340 Christian Birkeland, a famous Norwegian scientist, created this device, called the Torella, a 53 00:03:50,340 --> 00:03:52,420 magnetic sphere representing the Earth. 54 00:03:52,420 --> 00:03:57,620 Currently housed at the Norwegian Technical Museum, this device creates artificial aurora 55 00:03:57,620 --> 00:04:01,700 by using an electron gun similar to the one in your TV picture tube. 56 00:04:01,700 --> 00:04:05,460 Birkeland believed the currents of electrons from the sun caused the aurora. 57 00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:09,420 He laid the groundwork for the modern day study of the Northern Lights. 58 00:04:09,420 --> 00:04:13,720 Today, thanks to modern research satellites, we now have a deeper and more complete understanding 59 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,240 of how the Northern Lights work. 60 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:20,320 Say, do you remember what the final Jeopardy category was at the beginning of the program? 61 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,920 Well, if you don't, it was the sun-Earth connection. 62 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:29,400 And Sten, isn't it true that the sun is the source of the auroras? 63 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:30,400 That's right, Jennifer. 64 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,000 The sun does play a role in producing the aurora. 65 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:37,120 The aurora are the only visible evidence that we have that the sun and the Earth are a system 66 00:04:37,220 --> 00:04:39,780 that are connected by more than just gravity and sunlight. 67 00:04:39,780 --> 00:04:43,260 You see, the sun gives off charged particles called ions. 68 00:04:43,260 --> 00:04:48,380 These ions travel out into space at speeds of 350 to 700 kilometers per second. 69 00:04:48,380 --> 00:04:52,580 A cloud, or gas of such ions and electrons, is called a plasma. 70 00:04:52,580 --> 00:04:56,340 The stream of plasma coming from the sun is known as the solar wind. 71 00:04:56,340 --> 00:05:01,260 The sun's corona, or outermost atmosphere, continuously emits the solar wind, a stream 72 00:05:01,260 --> 00:05:05,940 of electrically charged particles, mostly protons and electrons, flowing out in all 73 00:05:05,940 --> 00:05:06,940 directions. 74 00:05:06,940 --> 00:05:11,420 It is commonly said that the aurora's gorgeous curtains of light are caused by particles 75 00:05:11,420 --> 00:05:13,500 flowing directly from the sun. 76 00:05:13,500 --> 00:05:15,060 But this is not the case at all. 77 00:05:15,060 --> 00:05:19,660 When a major solar storm interacts with the Earth's magnetic field, it causes some parts 78 00:05:19,660 --> 00:05:23,820 of this field to rearrange itself, like rubber bands pulled to the breaking point. 79 00:05:23,820 --> 00:05:28,540 The magnetic energy that is released causes powerful currents of particles to flow from 80 00:05:28,540 --> 00:05:31,860 distant parts of the magnetic field into the atmosphere. 81 00:05:31,860 --> 00:05:37,020 These currents flow along the magnetic field into the polar regions and collide with nitrogen 82 00:05:37,020 --> 00:05:39,340 and oxygen atoms in the atmosphere. 83 00:05:39,340 --> 00:05:44,220 The color of the aurora depends on which gas, oxygen or nitrogen, is being excited by the 84 00:05:44,220 --> 00:05:45,660 electrons. 85 00:05:45,660 --> 00:05:49,860 Oxygen emits either a greenish-yellow light, the most familiar color of the aurora, or 86 00:05:49,860 --> 00:05:51,300 a red light. 87 00:05:51,300 --> 00:05:53,580 Nitrogen generally gives off a blue light. 88 00:05:53,580 --> 00:05:58,100 The blending of these colors can also produce purples, pinks, and whites. 89 00:05:58,420 --> 00:05:59,860 Stan, that is fascinating. 90 00:05:59,860 --> 00:06:02,260 And, of course, it's beautiful. 91 00:06:02,260 --> 00:06:03,260 That's right, it is beautiful. 92 00:06:03,260 --> 00:06:08,020 And, you know, the northern lights are always moving, like giant curtains of light weaving 93 00:06:08,020 --> 00:06:09,940 and swaying across the sky. 94 00:06:09,940 --> 00:06:13,100 So, Stan, how do scientists study the northern lights? 95 00:06:13,100 --> 00:06:16,540 Well, besides photographing them from the ground, there are three other ways that scientists 96 00:06:16,540 --> 00:06:18,020 like to study them. 97 00:06:18,020 --> 00:06:22,620 Ground-based measuring devices, sounding rockets, and satellites. 98 00:06:22,620 --> 00:06:26,820 Data can be collected from these three methods and analyzed by scientists to get a complete 99 00:06:26,820 --> 00:06:29,100 picture of the aurora borealis. 100 00:06:29,100 --> 00:06:33,580 To get a better idea of how ground-based instruments and sounding rockets are used, let's visit 101 00:06:33,580 --> 00:06:36,420 Professor Alv Eglund at the Andoya Rocket Range. 102 00:06:36,420 --> 00:06:41,900 But, before we visit Professor Eglund and learn more about the rocket range, let's review 103 00:06:41,900 --> 00:06:47,140 the two math concepts for today's program, data analysis and measurement. 104 00:06:47,140 --> 00:06:51,340 Data analysis and measurement are two important math concepts to scientists and engineers. 105 00:06:51,340 --> 00:06:56,500 You see, before things can be analyzed, they must first be measured. 106 00:06:56,580 --> 00:07:00,060 Scientists and engineers take measurements so they can collect data. 107 00:07:00,060 --> 00:07:02,300 Think about what you measure every day. 108 00:07:02,300 --> 00:07:08,380 Length, volume, mass, or temperature, to name a few. 109 00:07:08,380 --> 00:07:12,500 Once scientists and engineers collect the data they need, then they must analyze that 110 00:07:12,500 --> 00:07:13,860 data. 111 00:07:13,860 --> 00:07:17,340 Scientists are constantly on the lookout for patterns that can help them understand how 112 00:07:17,340 --> 00:07:18,660 things work. 113 00:07:18,660 --> 00:07:24,220 By analyzing data, they can construct relationships among numbers and the scientific principles 114 00:07:24,220 --> 00:07:25,220 they are investigating. 115 00:07:25,820 --> 00:07:29,780 Now that you understand the importance of data analysis and measurement, let's go meet 116 00:07:29,780 --> 00:07:35,020 with Professor Alv Eglund. 117 00:07:35,020 --> 00:07:38,620 How is a manotomer used to measure auroral activity? 118 00:07:38,620 --> 00:07:44,860 In analyzing the graph, what indicates a great disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field? 119 00:07:44,860 --> 00:07:51,340 How are sounding rockets useful to scientists and engineers? 120 00:07:51,340 --> 00:07:52,940 Professor Eglund, how are you? 121 00:07:53,140 --> 00:07:54,140 Fine, thank you. 122 00:07:54,140 --> 00:07:55,140 And how are you, Jennifer? 123 00:07:55,140 --> 00:07:56,140 I am wonderful. 124 00:07:56,140 --> 00:07:57,140 I'm wonderful. 125 00:07:57,140 --> 00:07:58,140 This is Dr. Odenwald. 126 00:07:58,140 --> 00:07:59,140 Hello, Professor. 127 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:00,140 Hello, Dr. Odenwald. 128 00:08:00,140 --> 00:08:01,140 Nice to meet you. 129 00:08:01,140 --> 00:08:02,140 Nice to meet you, too. 130 00:08:02,140 --> 00:08:06,380 You know, the Andoia Rocket Range is an exciting facility. 131 00:08:06,380 --> 00:08:07,700 Can you tell us more about it? 132 00:08:07,700 --> 00:08:15,980 Andoia Rocket Range is the furthest north permanent located rocket range where we launch 133 00:08:15,980 --> 00:08:18,940 rocket and scientific balloons. 134 00:08:18,940 --> 00:08:23,220 It's located here because it's just under the Royal Belt. 135 00:08:23,220 --> 00:08:29,540 And this is the place where we do all the launching of rockets and balloons from Norway. 136 00:08:29,540 --> 00:08:36,620 The range provides complete services for launch, operation, data acquisition, recovery, and 137 00:08:36,620 --> 00:08:39,340 ground instrumented support. 138 00:08:39,340 --> 00:08:45,100 Since 1962, more than 800 rockets have been launched from this range. 139 00:08:45,460 --> 00:08:51,180 We have also hosted scientists and engineers from more than 70 institutes and universities 140 00:08:51,180 --> 00:08:52,900 around the world. 141 00:08:52,900 --> 00:08:56,500 Professor, what kind of ground-based measurements do you take here at the range? 142 00:08:56,500 --> 00:09:02,540 Well, we take a lot of different measurements, but I think the most important is the recording 143 00:09:02,540 --> 00:09:04,500 of the Earth's magnetic field. 144 00:09:04,500 --> 00:09:08,460 And for that type of recording, we use a magnetometer. 145 00:09:08,500 --> 00:09:10,700 A magnetometer. 146 00:09:10,700 --> 00:09:15,540 Sounds like an instrument that measures magnets or maybe a magnetic field. 147 00:09:15,540 --> 00:09:17,860 You are on the right track, Jennifer. 148 00:09:17,860 --> 00:09:24,700 A magnetometer can be used to measure weak, short-term variation in the strength of the 149 00:09:24,700 --> 00:09:26,580 Earth's geomagnetic field. 150 00:09:26,580 --> 00:09:33,860 It was first used in the year 1800 by Alexander von Humboldt to study aurora and what he called 151 00:09:33,860 --> 00:09:36,020 magnetic storms. 152 00:09:36,020 --> 00:09:41,460 These variations are due to electric currents in the upper atmosphere. 153 00:09:41,460 --> 00:09:47,740 The electrons and ions flowing in from distant regions of the Earth's magnetic field cause 154 00:09:47,740 --> 00:09:53,740 currents to flow in the ionosphere and also cause the aurora currents. 155 00:09:53,740 --> 00:10:00,380 So a magnetometer measures a quantity that is directly related to the northern light. 156 00:10:00,380 --> 00:10:05,780 The stronger the magnetic variation, the higher the auroral activity. 157 00:10:05,820 --> 00:10:09,020 Professor, this is just one type of magnetometer, correct? 158 00:10:09,020 --> 00:10:10,380 That's correct, yes. 159 00:10:10,380 --> 00:10:14,180 Now, how do you analyze the data that you collect from a magnetometer? 160 00:10:14,180 --> 00:10:19,860 What we do is really we reproduce some graphic representation. 161 00:10:19,860 --> 00:10:25,980 And if there is a big deviation from the local standard field, we call it a magnetic storm. 162 00:10:25,980 --> 00:10:31,940 And I just want to show you one example here of a big magnetic storm. 163 00:10:32,020 --> 00:10:37,700 And here you can really see a big deviation from the local standard field. 164 00:10:37,700 --> 00:10:42,260 The following graph shows a relatively weak magnetic storm. 165 00:10:42,260 --> 00:10:50,780 The magnetometer measures the geomagnetic field along three axes, north-south, or H-component, 166 00:10:50,780 --> 00:10:57,260 east-west, or D-component, and up-down, or Z-component. 167 00:10:57,260 --> 00:11:01,700 This graph is a magnetic field strength versus time plot. 168 00:11:01,700 --> 00:11:09,260 Now, here is a plot of a relative strong magnetic storm, probably caused by a disturbance in 169 00:11:09,260 --> 00:11:10,820 the solar wind. 170 00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:13,660 What can we conclude from the two graphs? 171 00:11:13,660 --> 00:11:15,500 Hmm, let me see. 172 00:11:15,500 --> 00:11:19,340 The second graph shows more magnetic activity than the first graph. 173 00:11:19,340 --> 00:11:25,020 So I would say the more magnetic activity, the greater the auroral activity. 174 00:11:25,020 --> 00:11:27,220 That's correct, Jennifer. 175 00:11:27,220 --> 00:11:32,660 As seen in this section of the graph, the deviations are at the maximum. 176 00:11:32,660 --> 00:11:40,340 If the night sky was clear, we can view the mysterious and beautiful aurora colors. 177 00:11:40,340 --> 00:11:46,660 Magnetometers located here at the range are continuously taking measurements of the local 178 00:11:46,660 --> 00:11:48,260 geomagnetic field. 179 00:11:48,260 --> 00:11:54,420 In fact, anyone from around the world can visit the following website to analyze the 180 00:11:54,420 --> 00:11:59,780 geomagnetic activity around the NDR rocket range. 181 00:11:59,780 --> 00:12:04,900 Professor, you mentioned that this facility is known for auroral research using sounding rockets. 182 00:12:04,900 --> 00:12:06,420 Yes, that's correct. 183 00:12:06,420 --> 00:12:10,500 As a matter of fact, that's the main purpose for the rocket range. 184 00:12:10,500 --> 00:12:14,980 We can study the aurora from the ground, but then we just look on the bottom aurora. 185 00:12:14,980 --> 00:12:19,860 If you study the aurora from a satellite, you just study the top of the aurora. 186 00:12:19,860 --> 00:12:25,380 But by using instrumented rocket, you can study the inside of the aurora. 187 00:12:25,380 --> 00:12:31,140 That's why sounding rocket is such a unique platform for auroral studies. 188 00:12:31,140 --> 00:12:38,980 Other instruments on the rocket register electric field and magnetic field and count particles 189 00:12:38,980 --> 00:12:44,660 coming into the atmosphere from distance part of the Earth's magnetic field. 190 00:12:44,660 --> 00:12:50,020 Consequently, the energy that produced the northern light can be calculated. 191 00:12:50,020 --> 00:12:56,580 During an ordinary winter night in Norway, the northern light involves more energy than 192 00:12:56,580 --> 00:12:59,380 the country use in one year. 193 00:12:59,380 --> 00:13:06,260 A severe auroral storm can produce billions of joules of energy per second. 194 00:13:06,260 --> 00:13:07,460 Professor Egelund, thank you. 195 00:13:07,460 --> 00:13:09,060 We learned so much. 196 00:13:09,060 --> 00:13:10,660 It's really my pleasure. 197 00:13:11,700 --> 00:13:12,500 Thank you, too. 198 00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:17,700 Or as we say in Norway, gleden var på min sida. 199 00:13:18,660 --> 00:13:19,460 Okay, guys. 200 00:13:19,460 --> 00:13:21,300 Now it's time for a cue card review. 201 00:13:21,300 --> 00:13:25,540 How is a magnetometer used to measure auroral activity? 202 00:13:25,540 --> 00:13:31,460 In analyzing the graph, what indicates a great disturbance in the Earth's magnetic field? 203 00:13:31,460 --> 00:13:35,220 How are sounding rockets useful to scientists and engineers? 204 00:13:35,780 --> 00:13:38,180 So, did you get all the answers to the questions? 205 00:13:38,740 --> 00:13:39,380 Good. 206 00:13:39,380 --> 00:13:40,900 Now, let's review. 207 00:13:40,900 --> 00:13:46,660 We learned about the myths and legends surrounding the northern lights, and we also learned how 208 00:13:46,660 --> 00:13:51,380 ground-based instruments and sounding rockets are used to study the auroras. 209 00:13:51,940 --> 00:13:54,100 Now, we turn our focus to space. 210 00:13:54,660 --> 00:13:59,860 Later in the program, Dr. Nikki Fox will tell us how data analysis and measurement are used 211 00:13:59,860 --> 00:14:05,060 to study the auroras with the help of two NASA satellites, Polar and Timed. 212 00:14:05,700 --> 00:14:08,740 But first, STEM will give us the scoop on image. 213 00:14:11,220 --> 00:14:13,220 Thanks, Jennifer. 214 00:14:13,220 --> 00:14:17,460 Aurora tell us in a dramatic way that something invisible is happening above our heads in 215 00:14:17,460 --> 00:14:19,300 space to light up our skies. 216 00:14:19,300 --> 00:14:23,780 We can use sophisticated Earth-orbiting satellites to learn more about the causes of the aurora. 217 00:14:25,060 --> 00:14:30,740 The Imager for Magnetosphere to Aurora Global Exploration, or IMAGE, is a NASA satellite 218 00:14:30,740 --> 00:14:35,140 that lets us see the invisible activity that swirls around the Earth and eventually causes 219 00:14:35,140 --> 00:14:36,260 aurora to appear. 220 00:14:36,260 --> 00:14:40,500 When a solar storm collides with Earth, one of the first signs of the disturbance is a 221 00:14:40,500 --> 00:14:43,060 collection of particles called the ring current. 222 00:14:43,060 --> 00:14:47,940 It's an invisible river of charged particles extending over 30,000 kilometers from Earth. 223 00:14:48,740 --> 00:14:53,060 Much of the matter in this current actually comes from the Earth's upper atmosphere in 224 00:14:53,060 --> 00:14:56,580 gigantic plumes and fountains of gas from the polar regions. 225 00:14:56,580 --> 00:14:59,620 But we still don't know how the particles get their energy. 226 00:14:59,620 --> 00:15:04,260 Another part of the upper atmosphere, seen by IMAGE for the first time, is what scientists 227 00:15:04,260 --> 00:15:05,940 call the plasmasphere. 228 00:15:05,940 --> 00:15:09,460 It extends out into space at least 10,000 kilometers. 229 00:15:09,460 --> 00:15:12,580 You should think of it as the outer limits to the ionosphere. 230 00:15:12,580 --> 00:15:18,740 During severe storms, parts of the plasmasphere are stripped off, but then reform as new gas 231 00:15:18,740 --> 00:15:20,580 flows out of the Earth's upper reaches. 232 00:15:21,140 --> 00:15:26,420 And, of course, IMAGE also provides scientists with movie-like high-resolution views of the 233 00:15:26,420 --> 00:15:28,420 aurora seen from space. 234 00:15:28,420 --> 00:15:33,940 Over the South Pole, the satellite dips down to 1,000 kilometers to show us never-before-seen 235 00:15:33,940 --> 00:15:36,180 details in auroral structure. 236 00:15:36,180 --> 00:15:39,700 The aurora in the South Pole is called Aurora Australis. 237 00:15:40,260 --> 00:15:44,500 Over the North Pole, we see a more distant view and a bigger picture. 238 00:15:44,500 --> 00:15:48,740 We can relate this big picture with views of the ring current and plasmasphere to track 239 00:15:48,740 --> 00:15:51,220 the evolution of an aurora from cradle to grave. 240 00:15:52,500 --> 00:15:56,900 The reason why we're so keen to understand the aurora is that the aurora are kind of 241 00:15:56,900 --> 00:15:58,740 like a final examination. 242 00:15:58,740 --> 00:16:02,900 If we can really understand how they work, that means we also understand all the other 243 00:16:02,900 --> 00:16:05,140 things about Earth's environment as well. 244 00:16:05,140 --> 00:16:09,460 We have billions of dollars of satellite technology in space, astronauts living and 245 00:16:09,460 --> 00:16:14,100 working in space, and on the ground, many kinds of systems that are affected by solar 246 00:16:14,100 --> 00:16:15,060 storms. 247 00:16:15,060 --> 00:16:19,940 An electrical blackout in Canada back in 1989 cost billions of dollars. 248 00:16:19,940 --> 00:16:24,580 We have lost over $2 billion of expensive communication and research satellites in the 249 00:16:24,580 --> 00:16:26,100 last 10 years alone. 250 00:16:26,100 --> 00:16:29,700 Solar storms have tremendous potential to cause damage to us. 251 00:16:29,700 --> 00:16:34,260 Only by understanding aurora and the events that lead up to them can we improve our ability 252 00:16:34,260 --> 00:16:38,100 to predict how to avoid the harmful effects of space weather storms. 253 00:16:38,740 --> 00:16:42,900 The real challenge is to get enough early warning that a storm is approaching. 254 00:16:42,900 --> 00:16:46,500 That's why it's also important to look at the sun for clues to the next storm. 255 00:16:47,060 --> 00:16:48,100 Thanks, Sten. 256 00:16:48,100 --> 00:16:52,740 OK, guys, now it's your turn to apply data analysis and measurement skills with this 257 00:16:52,740 --> 00:16:54,100 really cool activity. 258 00:16:54,100 --> 00:16:55,460 Sten, they are gorgeous, aren't they? 259 00:16:55,460 --> 00:16:56,260 Aren't they amazing? 260 00:16:56,260 --> 00:17:06,180 Hi, we're students from Norwegian School right here in Andernes, Norway. 261 00:17:06,180 --> 00:17:08,420 NASA Connect asked us to show you this activity. 262 00:17:08,420 --> 00:17:10,340 It's called Where to See an Aurora. 263 00:17:10,340 --> 00:17:14,420 You can download the lesson guide and a list of materials from the NASA Connect website. 264 00:17:15,060 --> 00:17:16,980 Here are the main objectives. 265 00:17:17,620 --> 00:17:22,500 Students will find and plot locations on maps using geographic coordinates, 266 00:17:22,820 --> 00:17:26,420 draw conclusions based on graphical information, 267 00:17:27,380 --> 00:17:30,820 convert centimeters to kilometers using a given scale. 268 00:17:30,820 --> 00:17:32,500 Here are some terms you will need to know. 269 00:17:33,380 --> 00:17:37,140 Latitude, a geographic coordinate measured from the equator, 270 00:17:37,140 --> 00:17:40,500 with positive values going north and negative values going south. 271 00:17:41,060 --> 00:17:44,900 Longitude, a geographic coordinate measured from the prime meridian, 272 00:17:44,900 --> 00:17:47,300 which is a longitude that runs from Greenwich, England, 273 00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:50,820 with positive values going east and negative values going west. 274 00:17:51,700 --> 00:17:52,580 Good morning, class. 275 00:17:53,940 --> 00:17:56,580 The northern lights are seen most dramatically 276 00:17:56,580 --> 00:18:00,420 in only certain places in the northern hemisphere. 277 00:18:00,420 --> 00:18:07,060 Today, you will plot the location and boundaries of a typical auroral oval in the Arctic region. 278 00:18:07,060 --> 00:18:09,060 You will see its geographic extent 279 00:18:09,620 --> 00:18:13,780 and determine its relationship to familiar continents and countries. 280 00:18:13,780 --> 00:18:15,700 Distribute all student materials. 281 00:18:16,260 --> 00:18:18,660 Students can work alone or in pairs. 282 00:18:18,660 --> 00:18:22,900 Students, label the latitude lines beginning at the center point with 90 degrees, 283 00:18:23,460 --> 00:18:28,420 then mark each circle 10 degrees less than the previous circle, ending at 20 degrees. 284 00:18:28,420 --> 00:18:31,620 Next, label the unmarked longitude lines. 285 00:18:31,620 --> 00:18:35,060 Plot the points onto the geographic grid for the outer ring. 286 00:18:35,060 --> 00:18:38,900 The geographic data points can be found on the student activity sheet. 287 00:18:38,900 --> 00:18:42,900 The points are identified as ordered pairs, longitude-latitude. 288 00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:50,020 For example, the ordered pair 180-60 means 180 degrees longitude and 60 degrees latitude. 289 00:18:50,740 --> 00:18:52,900 Connect the points in the outer ring. 290 00:18:52,900 --> 00:18:57,300 Now, plot the points onto the geographic grid for the inner ring and connect the points. 291 00:18:57,860 --> 00:19:01,860 Using the scale 1 centimeter equals 1400 kilometers, 292 00:19:01,860 --> 00:19:06,900 measure, in kilometers, the approximate width of the shortest and longest distances 293 00:19:06,900 --> 00:19:10,420 between the inner and outer rings and determine the range. 294 00:19:10,420 --> 00:19:13,460 Record these values on the student activity sheet. 295 00:19:13,460 --> 00:19:14,180 Okay, class. 296 00:19:14,980 --> 00:19:21,620 From the analysis of your graph, how far is the center of the auroral oval from the North Pole? 297 00:19:22,340 --> 00:19:27,860 I calculated that the center of the auroral oval is about 500 kilometers from the North Pole. 298 00:19:28,660 --> 00:19:29,540 Very good, Marita. 299 00:19:30,340 --> 00:19:33,860 And where would you travel in North America to see the Northern Lights? 300 00:19:34,420 --> 00:19:38,900 From the graph, either Canada or Alaska are the best places to view the Northern Lights. 301 00:19:41,380 --> 00:19:44,260 Students, once you complete the hands-on activity, 302 00:19:44,260 --> 00:19:48,980 check out the web activity for today's program called the NASA Northern Lights Challenge. 303 00:19:48,980 --> 00:19:51,940 It can be accessed at the NASA Connect website. 304 00:19:51,940 --> 00:19:57,540 This activity is created to be fun, interactive, and will challenge your ability to solve problems. 305 00:19:57,540 --> 00:19:59,220 During the course of the activity, 306 00:19:59,220 --> 00:20:03,300 you'll use various probes to explore properties of the planets in our solar system. 307 00:20:03,860 --> 00:20:08,180 There are eight interactive probes in different colored boxes along the two sides. 308 00:20:08,180 --> 00:20:11,620 You'll learn about the temperature, magnetic field strength, 309 00:20:11,620 --> 00:20:18,020 solar wind density, atmospheric gases, mean distance, mean density, gravity, 310 00:20:18,020 --> 00:20:19,860 and speed on other planets. 311 00:20:19,860 --> 00:20:24,740 Upon exploring each planet, you will apply what you learned to solve the following problem. 312 00:20:24,740 --> 00:20:26,900 What other planets may have the Northern Lights? 313 00:20:27,460 --> 00:20:30,260 Special thanks to the students from Brandon Middle School 314 00:20:30,260 --> 00:20:34,820 and Lansdowne Middle School in Virginia Beach, Virginia for demonstrating this web activity. 315 00:20:35,220 --> 00:20:37,060 Super job, you guys. 316 00:20:37,060 --> 00:20:40,100 So, what is NASA doing to study the auroras? 317 00:20:40,100 --> 00:20:45,780 Well, Nikki Fox, a senior scientist at the John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory 318 00:20:45,780 --> 00:20:48,180 in Baltimore, Maryland, can tell us all about it. 319 00:20:51,940 --> 00:20:55,300 Why do scientists use satellite images to monitor the auroras? 320 00:20:55,300 --> 00:20:58,420 In analyzing the graph, when do auroral activities increase? 321 00:20:58,420 --> 00:21:00,100 What are the phases of the aurora? 322 00:21:00,340 --> 00:21:04,740 This is the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland. 323 00:21:04,740 --> 00:21:07,620 I am the operations scientist for the Polar Mission. 324 00:21:07,620 --> 00:21:11,060 The Polar Mission is part of NASA's Sun-Earth Connections fleet. 325 00:21:11,060 --> 00:21:14,820 Within the Sun-Earth Connections fleet, Polar has the responsibility 326 00:21:14,820 --> 00:21:17,220 for multi-wavelength imaging of the aurora, 327 00:21:17,220 --> 00:21:20,580 measuring the entry of the material into the polar regions, 328 00:21:20,580 --> 00:21:23,700 the flow of material to and from the ionosphere, 329 00:21:23,700 --> 00:21:26,180 and the discharge of the energy from the aurora. 330 00:21:26,180 --> 00:21:31,140 Scientists use satellite images to monitor the position of the various auroral features. 331 00:21:31,140 --> 00:21:36,900 In particular, the latitudinal location of the edge closest to the equator of the aurora 332 00:21:36,900 --> 00:21:39,140 determines the amount of activity. 333 00:21:39,140 --> 00:21:43,220 The further the aurora moves towards the equator, the bigger the event. 334 00:21:43,220 --> 00:21:46,820 Also, the extent and speed of the expansion of the aurora 335 00:21:46,820 --> 00:21:49,220 tells us a lot about the amount of activity, 336 00:21:49,220 --> 00:21:52,020 and how the aurora moves towards the equator. 337 00:21:52,020 --> 00:21:56,580 The speed of the expansion of the aurora tells us a lot about the amount of activity. 338 00:21:56,580 --> 00:22:00,340 The further and faster it moves, the larger the event. 339 00:22:00,340 --> 00:22:05,540 Polar is a unique spacecraft because it carries four different cameras to study the aurora. 340 00:22:05,540 --> 00:22:07,940 There is a high-resolution visible imager, 341 00:22:07,940 --> 00:22:11,780 which allows us to look at the aurora in different wavelengths or colors. 342 00:22:11,780 --> 00:22:16,900 In this way, we can simultaneously image the red, blue, and green components of the aurora. 343 00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:22,340 There is also a global imager, which allows us to look at the whole Earth at once. 344 00:22:22,340 --> 00:22:25,060 This camera takes pictures in ultraviolet, 345 00:22:25,060 --> 00:22:29,860 so we can see what the aurora is doing even when there is sunlight in the way. 346 00:22:29,860 --> 00:22:34,660 Auroras do occur during the daytime, we just can't see them with the naked eye. 347 00:22:34,660 --> 00:22:39,060 But from the images of this camera, we can see the size of the auroral oval. 348 00:22:39,060 --> 00:22:43,540 For example, the following graph shows you the latitudinal auroral extent 349 00:22:43,540 --> 00:22:46,580 for selected coronal mass ejection events. 350 00:22:46,580 --> 00:22:52,020 Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are gigantic explosions caused by the Sun 351 00:22:52,020 --> 00:22:55,460 that can reach speeds of millions of kilometers per hour. 352 00:22:55,460 --> 00:22:59,460 It takes around three days for a CME to reach the Earth. 353 00:22:59,460 --> 00:23:06,820 The vertical axis of the graph is the geomagnetic north latitude from 40° to 58°. 354 00:23:06,820 --> 00:23:11,220 On a globe, 40° north latitude is closer to the equator, 355 00:23:11,220 --> 00:23:16,500 and 58° north latitude is closer to the geomagnetic north pole. 356 00:23:16,500 --> 00:23:21,380 The horizontal axis represents the dates of selected CME events. 357 00:23:21,380 --> 00:23:26,180 From analysis of this graph, we can determine that the latitudinal auroral extent 358 00:23:26,180 --> 00:23:30,180 generally increased from 1997 to 2000. 359 00:23:30,180 --> 00:23:34,900 Be careful in the way you interpret this graph, the function appears to be decreasing. 360 00:23:34,900 --> 00:23:41,060 Even though the data show a downward trend, the auroral oval extended closer to the equator. 361 00:23:41,060 --> 00:23:45,780 For this particular graph, it tells us that the auroral activity increased. 362 00:23:45,780 --> 00:23:48,180 Let's look at two data points. 363 00:23:48,180 --> 00:23:54,420 From the data on January 10, 1997, there was an auroral event in the northern hemisphere 364 00:23:54,420 --> 00:23:58,420 that extended to a latitude of 57.3°. 365 00:23:58,420 --> 00:24:03,060 Do you know the name of the country that the auroral oval covered? 366 00:24:03,060 --> 00:24:06,100 If you said Canada, then you are correct. 367 00:24:06,100 --> 00:24:12,980 On July 15, 2000, there was an auroral event that extended to latitude 41.2°. 368 00:24:12,980 --> 00:24:19,460 The auroral activity was so intense that the auroral oval stretched into the southern parts of the United States. 369 00:24:19,460 --> 00:24:24,100 The 11-year solar cycle of the Sun reached its maximum in the year 2000, 370 00:24:24,100 --> 00:24:30,260 so we expected auroral activity to increase from 1997 to 2000. 371 00:24:30,260 --> 00:24:35,700 With all these cameras and the data we collect, we can photograph the evolution of an aurora. 372 00:24:35,700 --> 00:24:40,100 The evolution of every aurora tends to follow a similar sequence. 373 00:24:40,100 --> 00:24:42,900 We call this an auroral substorm. 374 00:24:42,900 --> 00:24:47,300 The following images show a typical sequence of an auroral substorm. 375 00:24:47,300 --> 00:24:52,260 The first image shows a quiet oval before any activity begins. 376 00:24:52,260 --> 00:24:54,660 This is called the quiet phase. 377 00:24:54,660 --> 00:24:58,820 Right before we see any bright emissions, we can observe the oval getting bigger 378 00:24:58,820 --> 00:25:01,460 and moves further towards the equator. 379 00:25:01,460 --> 00:25:03,700 This is called the growth phase. 380 00:25:03,700 --> 00:25:08,420 The activity truly begins with a small spot of light, or onset event, 381 00:25:08,420 --> 00:25:13,700 followed by the lighting up of the whole ring and an expansion to a more poleward location. 382 00:25:13,700 --> 00:25:17,700 The large bright region you can see is called the auroral bulge. 383 00:25:17,700 --> 00:25:20,580 When the aurora reaches its maximum expansion, 384 00:25:20,580 --> 00:25:26,420 you can see that the large bulge begins to break up and the small discrete features appear. 385 00:25:26,420 --> 00:25:29,620 Finally, the whole aurora dims and recovers. 386 00:25:29,620 --> 00:25:33,860 It will eventually return to the initial state, the quiet phase. 387 00:25:33,860 --> 00:25:39,460 The whole process may repeat over and over again until the activity dies out completely. 388 00:25:39,460 --> 00:25:43,300 Now, all the images you've seen so far have been from the northern hemisphere 389 00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:46,260 of the Northern Lights, or the aurora borealis. 390 00:25:46,260 --> 00:25:49,780 But did you know that there was also a southern counterpart of the aurora 391 00:25:49,780 --> 00:25:52,980 called the Southern Lights, or the aurora australis? 392 00:25:52,980 --> 00:25:56,660 And here we're seeing a unique movie taken by the Polar Spacecraft 393 00:25:56,660 --> 00:26:00,180 that shows us both the north and the south at the same time. 394 00:26:00,180 --> 00:26:05,940 This allows us to see that the activity is occurring at the same time in both hemispheres. 395 00:26:05,940 --> 00:26:08,660 We call this the conjugate aurora. 396 00:26:08,660 --> 00:26:12,180 Now, we've seen data from many different cameras on the Polar Spacecraft 397 00:26:12,180 --> 00:26:13,940 and learned that when you add them all together, 398 00:26:13,940 --> 00:26:16,500 you can learn an awful lot more about the aurora. 399 00:26:16,500 --> 00:26:21,220 Now we're looking at an animation which shows the polar auroral image underneath 400 00:26:21,220 --> 00:26:24,180 with the timed spacecraft flying over the top. 401 00:26:24,260 --> 00:26:27,220 Timed is taking images in very high resolution, 402 00:26:27,220 --> 00:26:30,820 and you can see that every time the spacecraft flies through the oval, 403 00:26:30,820 --> 00:26:35,140 it suddenly illuminates all the fine scale features that you couldn't see before. 404 00:26:35,140 --> 00:26:39,620 So now we know that when you add two data sets together, you get even more information. 405 00:26:39,620 --> 00:26:43,620 Now with the addition of data from ground-based observatories and sounding rockets, 406 00:26:43,620 --> 00:26:45,940 we can look at the aurora with full perspective. 407 00:26:46,660 --> 00:26:48,980 Okay, now it's time for a cue card review. 408 00:26:49,540 --> 00:26:53,460 Why do scientists use satellite images to monitor the auroras? 409 00:26:54,420 --> 00:26:58,340 In analyzing the graph, when do auroral activities increase? 410 00:26:59,140 --> 00:27:00,980 What are the phases of the aurora? 411 00:27:01,860 --> 00:27:04,660 Well, that wraps up another episode of NASA Connect. 412 00:27:04,660 --> 00:27:07,460 We'd like to thank everybody that helped make this show possible. 413 00:27:07,460 --> 00:27:10,820 Got a question, a comment, or perhaps a suggestion? 414 00:27:10,820 --> 00:27:14,020 Then write us at NASA's Center for Distance Learning, 415 00:27:14,020 --> 00:27:19,940 NASA Langley Research Center, Mail Stop 400, Hampton, Virginia, 23681. 416 00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:22,340 You know, each year here in Andenes, 417 00:27:22,340 --> 00:27:26,580 they celebrate the beauty of the auroras with the Northern Lights Festival. 418 00:27:27,140 --> 00:27:31,380 We leave you now with some images of the festival and the people of Norway. 419 00:27:31,380 --> 00:27:38,180 So until next time, stay connected to math, science, technology, and of course, NASA. 420 00:27:38,180 --> 00:27:38,740 We'll see you then. 421 00:27:38,740 --> 00:27:40,020 Goodbye from Norway. 422 00:27:40,020 --> 00:27:40,500 Bye-bye. 423 00:28:19,940 --> 00:28:26,740 And we're dancing, dancing, dancing in the night sky. 424 00:28:26,740 --> 00:28:29,940 Captioning funded by the NAC Foundation of America.