{"id":1672,"date":"2021-11-30T10:52:40","date_gmt":"2021-11-30T10:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurorasaurudev.wpengine.com\/?p=1672"},"modified":"2024-03-18T21:32:55","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T21:32:55","slug":"heliocrafts-aurora-color-earrings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.aurorasaurus.org\/?p=1672","title":{"rendered":"HelioCrafts: Aurora Color Earrings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi! Laura here. Over the past two years, I\u2019ve been learning about the world of <\/span>heliophysics<\/span><\/a>\u2014the science of the Sun and its relationship with the planets, which includes the auroras. Aurora science <\/span>gets very abstract very quickly<\/span><\/a>, so as someone without a science background I\u2019ve found it helpful to build models of some of the ideas. Since I\u2019m a jewelry nerd, this has taken the form of lots of earrings! Today I\u2019m going to share a beautiful and scientifically accurate beginner-level tutorial and what it\u2019s helped me learn. Feel free to make and share this pattern, but if you do, please credit Aurorasaurus and point people back to <\/span>Aurorasaurus.org<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Completed aurora color earrings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Today we\u2019ll make simple wire dangly earrings that illustrate some of the science behind the layers of <\/span>color<\/span><\/a> in the aurora. The idea for this project came from a fantastic bracelet activity by the <\/span>University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum of the North<\/span><\/a>. Check out their activities for students!<\/span><\/p>\n

Background:<\/span><\/h2>\n

Aurora colors<\/span><\/a> are made when particles that have been energized in the Earth\u2019s magnetic field ricochet off atoms and molecules in the <\/span>upper atmosphere<\/span><\/a>, transferring some of their energy with each hit. The atom or molecule can\u2019t hang onto the energy for very long, so it then gives off the energy as a tiny particle of light. All these tiny, individual reactions glittering and glinting together are what we see as the aurora.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Aurora<\/a>
Aurora photograph taken by Janin Ober during the 2015 St. Patrick’s Day Storm shows oxygen green, nitrogen blue, and oxygen red colors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Different atoms and molecules make <\/span>different colors of light<\/span><\/a>: oxygen makes red and green, and nitrogen makes pink and blue. Different amounts of each atom or molecule at different altitudes\u2014combined with some pretty complicated chemistry\u2014mean that the colors look like they are more or less in layers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Diagram<\/a>
Aurora colors in Earth\u2019s upper atmosphere. Graphic by Aurorasaurus<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/i>What\u2019s cool about this is we can look at aurora colors and estimate information based on what we see. For example, if I see a pink border at the bottom of the aurora, I can go \u201caha! That\u2019s nitrogen below 60 miles altitude!\u201d This is why color is part of <\/span>making an aurora citizen science report<\/span><\/a>, and one reason why <\/span>citizen scientists<\/span><\/a> on the ground can gather useful information about the aurora. Now, you may or may not be able to see aurora right this second, but we can explore some of these ideas in more detail\u2014through crafting!<\/span><\/p>\n

Supplies:<\/span><\/h2>\n