They dance above the clouds but below the aurora, crimson fingers stretching up and down, bursting like fireworks then vanishing in the blink of an eye. Sprites, brief flashes of red and purple light associated with lightning, are some of the least-understood electrical phenomena in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. Even though globally there are 30-100[…]
There’s nothing quite like the disappointment when a promising CME fizzles out, or when clouds obscure the sky during a magnificent aurora display (we feel for you in the Pacific Northwest!) Experienced aurora chasers point out that such fickleness is part of the excitement, and that’s true! The reason that the question “when can I[…]
While “discreet” means something that is a little bit secretive or unobtrusive, “discrete” auroras are distinct, bright, narrow bands—most commonly, photos of auroras are of this type. They typically have a definite lower border and can stretch high into the sky, like curtains, when viewed from the side. From below they are very narrow. They[…]
It’s June, the season for graduations and vacations. Whether you’re soaking up the sun at the beach, curling up in a cozy cabin, or enjoying an evening at home, we’ve pulled together a reading list of fantastic books that explore aurora science and citizen science using words and descriptions that are easy to understand. If[…]
by Dr. Liz MacDonald and Laura Brandt Originally posted to the Zooniverse blog Viewing the aurora in person is a magnificent experience, but due to location (or pesky clouds) it’s not always an option. Fortunately, citizen science projects like Aurorasaurus and Zooniverse’s Aurora Zoo make it easy to take part in aurora research from any[…]
Originally posted to NASA’s The Sun Spot blog NASA’s citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public. Through these collaborations, volunteers known as citizen scientists have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries. Aurorasaurus is one such project that tracks auroras around the world in real time via reports on[…]
On February 24, running through March 10, 2022, the watch begins for the perfect opportunity to launch a sounding rocket into a common but rarely-viewed type of aurora: the pulsating aurora. The NASA Loss through Auroral Microburst Pulsations (LAMP) mission will send instruments high above the auroral light. Read on to find out what the[…]
by Laura Brandt (with lots of help from Dr. Liz!) Since joining Aurorasaurus, I have learned a lot about auroras and the ways aurora chasers and scientists describe them. I’ve been taking notes and want to share my list of key terms—by a newbie, for newbies, and reviewed by a subject matter expert—as a big[…]
Laura here! I am an aurora enthusiast, but new to the science side. Fortunately, the Aurorasaurus blog and website are full of great resources that I’ll be sharing out as I cultivate my knowledge. One of these is the Space Weather Data page, a graph that shows the strength of solar wind power. In short,[…]
Noctlilucent, or “night-shining” cloud season is around the solstice for most places, but it’s a little later in the first two weeks of August, when darkness returns, for noctilucent cloud season at high latitudes! “Noctilucent clouds gleam in late-summer evenings as if they’re lit from within, but it’s sunlight that makes them shine. They look[…]
