by Tanya Melnik and Laura Edson The aurora follows a “life cycle” called a substorm. We know the feeling of waiting for the most dynamic part of the substorm to light the sky with green and red ribbons, but sometimes it seems to take forever. In this post we’ll go over a couple of reasons… Read More »Staying cool with aurora science
While the Sun appears constant, in terms of heliophysics the Sun varies naturally and goes through significant daily variations. With solar maximum in the recent past, a common question about auroras is: are they caused by sunspots? As with a lot of aurora science, the answer is somewhat complicated, and includes several phenomena that are… Read More »How are sunspots related to auroras?
By Laura Edson, MAT in Museum Education When I first joined Aurorasaurus six years ago, I had a steep learning curve ahead of me. I’d struggled with algebra and calculus in high school, I hadn’t touched physics for 15 years, and words like “magnetohydrodynamics” were pretty intimidating. I was able to learn because Dr. Liz… Read More »Making auroras understandable
Guest post by Chandresh “C.K.” Kedhambadi More and more we are asked, “how do I take photos if I can’t go outside?” There are a host of reasons it might be more comfortable to enjoy the aurora through a window, and even some situations where it’s an advantage: for example, flying above the clouds. With… Read More »Chasing the Aurora Home – Photographing the Northern Lights from 35,000 Feet
by Laura Edson, MAT in Museum Education A question we have received more and more at Aurorasaurus is, “Do you have any suggestions for presenting auroras to the public?” The aurora is a really fun topic to share; it is instantly engaging and technically challenging, artistically beautiful and scientifically fascinating. But it can also be… Read More »Presenting Auroras: Three Lessons from Museum Education
With contributions from Dr. Andréa Hughes The short answer is yes, but they are different from those on Earth. When we think about the aurora, we often imagine beautiful green and red lights that ring the night skies around the north and south poles, with the most dramatic displays in the hours around midnight. This… Read More »Are there auroras on Mars?
What an incredible storm we had November 11-13, 2025! We have been so excited to see the beautiful pictures and thrilling sightings you had from all over the world! We have an amazing community, and we are so grateful for every report. We are also often approached by aurora chasers who ask, “What are you… Read More »A wish list for aurora reports
Auroras are made when particles bump into atoms and molecules in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, giving them energy. The atoms and molecules then give off that energy as light in specific colors: red, green, blue, and pink. But why on rare occasions do auroras seem to have yellow, cyan, or purple in them? In this… Read More »Why do auroras sometimes look yellow?
When chasing aurora, have you ever felt your mindset shift? You might think of it as getting into the zone, or into the groove of the chase. “There’s this focus that, once it becomes intense, leads to a sense of ecstasy, a sense of clarity: you know exactly what you want to do from one… Read More »Getting into Flow in Participatory Science
Winter Field School—a culminating experience within the Eclipse Ambassadors program—was a transformative experience for participants, but the learning didn’t stop when they flew home from Alaska. A core tenet of learning to be a scientist is learning to share that science with the public. We conclude this blog post series by showcasing a few of… Read More »Winter Field School Alumni Bring Heliophysics Home