{"id":677,"date":"2019-11-29T12:00:27","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T12:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aurorasaurudev.wpengine.com\/?p=677"},"modified":"2023-12-26T21:50:47","modified_gmt":"2023-12-26T21:50:47","slug":"extreme-citizen-science-seeing-the-invisible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.aurorasaurus.org\/?p=677","title":{"rendered":"Extreme Citizen Science: Seeing the Invisible"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATE 12.12.19<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Tuesday, December 10, Clemson University’s CHI rocket successfully launched, and Hearts in the Ice\u00a0were able to take 65 timelapse photos at about an 80\u00b0 angle:<\/p>\n

“When the text came in ‘ready to launch in seven minutes’ we dressed like firemen and we were out the door as quickly as possible….to experience all of that colour in the sky, exposed as we were with the cold, the wind, thoughts of Polar Bears, us in the dark\u2014we felt so very privileged!”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can read more and\u00a0see photos\u00a0on their blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, due to uncooperative weather, the C-REX-2 window ended without the rocket team being able to launch. A new launch window may\u00a0be scheduled for a future date, potentially after the solar minimum has passed.<\/p>\n

We are glad that Hearts in the Ice were able to gather data on CHI, contributing to the field of citizen science in a new way. Each day, Hilde and Sunniva demonstrate the power, tenacity, and skill that citizen scientists contribute to scientific advances, and the Aurorasaurus team is grateful for their efforts.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Over<\/a>
Cusp aurora photographed from\u00a0an\u00a0aircraft full of scientific instruments that is supporting the rocket launches.
Photo Credit: John Elliott (University of Alaska)<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hearts in the Ice<\/a>\u2014a two-woman citizen science team overwintering in Svalbard, Norway and doing citizen science\u2014are volunteering to gather data for a set of <\/span>Grand Challenge Initiative<\/span><\/a> scientific rocket missions studying the mysterious north polar cusp. That’s right, we are now talking about extreme citizen science combined with rocket science!<\/span><\/p>\n

When conditions are right, the 24-hour night will be broken by high-tech fireworks reaching high up to the foot of the cusp aurora. These will explore aspects of the cusp atmosphere that are invisible to other instruments. The remote location where Hearts in the Ice are staying has a clear view of the launches in good weather: perfect for citizen science photography.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Daytime Aurora\u00a0<\/b>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Earth\u2019s magnetosphere, showing the northern and southern polar cusps.
Credits: And\u00f8ya Space Center\/Trond Abrahamsen<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While scientists often study the auroras that appear at night, auroras occur all the time. Some take place on the dayside of the planet, in polar areas called “cusps.” The cus<\/span>ps are entry points in the Earth’s magnetosphere near the north and south poles that funnel solar wind particles in and leaking atmospheric particles out<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The incoming particles strike the Earth’s ionosphere, creating daytime auroras that aren’t usually visible. Cusp aurora can only be viewed from a few settled places on Earth, very far north. To study them, s<\/span>cientists are braving freezing temperatures\u2014and polar bears\u2014in Svalbard, Norway, where the sun never rises in winter. Close to the magnetic north pole, they have conducted experiments<\/a> as part of a multi-year international mission called the Grand Challenge Initiative – Cusp<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeing the Invisible<\/b><\/p>\n

Hundreds of\u00a0miles above the ground blows the \u201cneutral wind:\u201d streams of particles that move invisibly through the atmosphere. The air on the edge of space is sometimes surprisingly dense, and no one knows why\u2014yet.\u00a0<\/span>As part of GCI-Cusp, rockets will probe the cusp aurora<\/a>. A sounding rocket is a type of space vehicle that makes 15-minute flights into space before falling back to Earth. Standing up to 65 feet tall and flying anywhere from 20 to 800 miles high, sounding rockets launched with only a few minutes notice. This flexibility and precision make them ideal for capturing the strange phenomena inside the cusp.<\/p>\n