NASA is conducting groundbreaking experiments by launching rockets into Alaska’s night sky to better understand polar auroras, or the Northern Lights. These shimmering lights are caused by charged particles from the Sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field. However, scientists still don’t fully understand why these auroras move in unique ways—some flicker, others pulse, and some have mysterious dark holes.
This week, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is flying two missions over the Poker Flat Research Range. The first mission, “GIRAFF,” will study fast-pulsating and slow-pulsating auroras by firing rockets at them. Instruments on board will measure interactions between electrons from solar flares and Earth’s magnetosphere. The second mission aims to investigate the “black holes” in some auroras, which are caused by particles colliding and disappearing.
Wind conditions in Alaska will determine when the rockets launch. Observers at the launch site and an observatory near the trajectory will monitor the auroras with ground-based cameras. This project could provide new insights into these cosmic wonderlights and their puzzling behavior.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-flying-rockets-auroras-causes-183617114.html