 |
Transcript for NASA Connect - Dancing In The Night Sky
[00:00:11.773]
[Alex Trebek:] The category
[00:00:12.483]
for final Jeopardy is
the Sun-Earth Connection
[00:00:15.543]
and the answer is; the gostly
light that produces the dance
[00:00:20.133]
of colors in the night sky
in the northern hemisphere.
[00:00:24.203]
The correct question of course
what is the Aurora Borealis
[00:00:27.343]
or Northern Lights?
[00:00:28.603]
Hello everyone I am
Alex Trebek the host
[00:00:31.363]
of the popular quiz
show "Jeopardy".
[00:00:32.853]
You know as a child growing
up in Northern Ontario,
[00:00:36.113]
Canada I was always
fascinated about the mystery
[00:00:39.133]
of the Northern Lights.
[00:00:40.103]
In this episode of NASA
Connect host Jennifer Pulley
[00:00:44.303]
and special co-host Dr. Sten
Odenwald will take you all
[00:00:48.073]
on an adventure to explore
the Aurora Borealis.
[00:00:50.843]
You will learn about the many
legends and midst that revolve
[00:00:54.393]
around the Aurora throughout
the history of mankind.
[00:00:57.783]
You will also learn
how NASA scientists
[00:00:59.753]
and engineers use satellite
technology to measure
[00:01:03.543]
and analyze Aurora data.
[00:01:05.883]
You'll visit Norwegian scientists
[00:01:07.633]
at the Andoya rocket range located
just inside the Arctic Circle
[00:01:11.723]
in Norway.
[00:01:12.293]
And in your classroom you'll use
data analysis and measurement
[00:01:16.603]
to plot the Aurora oval and
to the turn of the heights
[00:01:19.853]
of the Northern Lights, all in
this episode of NASA Connect,
[00:01:24.843]
"Dancing in the Night Sky".
[00:01:30.433]
[ Music ]
[00:01:31.433]
[00:01:55.073]
[Jennifer:] Hi!
[00:01:55.353]
Welcome to NASA Connect, the
show that connects you to math,
[00:01:58.803]
science, technology and NASA.
[00:02:00.803]
I am Jennifer Pulley.
[00:02:01.953]
[Sten:] And I am Sten
Odenwald astronomer
[00:02:03.723]
of the NASA Guard
Space Flight Centre.
[00:02:05.683]
[Jennifer:] On this episode of NASA
Connect we are filming on location
[00:02:09.003]
in Norway, a Scandinavian country
located in Northern Europe.
[00:02:13.103]
Today, Sten and I are at the
Viking Ship Museum in Oslo Norway.
[00:02:17.883]
And right beside us is an ancient
Viking burial ship called the
[00:02:22.373]
Oseburg and we know, it dates
back to the ninth century.
[00:02:25.683]
[Sten:] Wow.
[00:02:26.443]
[Jennifer:] So Sten let's
film in, why we are in Norway.
[00:02:29.603]
[Sten:] Because Norway is one of
the best countries in the world
[00:02:31.483]
to see the Northern Lights.
[00:02:32.703]
[Jennifer:] Or the Aurora Borealis.
[00:02:35.063]
Aurora was a Roman
goddess of the dawn
[00:02:37.773]
and Boreal is a Latin word meaning
north thus the Northern Light.
[00:02:42.233]
There is a lot of folklore
about the Northern Lights
[00:02:44.353]
in various cultures from around
the world have explained them
[00:02:47.513]
as dancing spirits or blood
raining from the clouds.
[00:02:50.993]
The Vikings believe the Northern
Lights were beams reflected
[00:02:54.543]
from the shields of the Valkyries.
[00:02:56.973]
Female warriors serving their god
Oden the aboriginals of Scandinavia
[00:03:01.843]
or the Sami believed that the
Northern Lights have supernatural
[00:03:05.583]
powers to resolve conflicts.
[00:03:07.663]
The Sami painted a war
symbols on their magic drums.
[00:03:10.943]
In middle age Europe the
Northern Lights were thought
[00:03:13.473]
to be reflections of heavenly
warriors as a reward the soldiers
[00:03:17.883]
that gave their lives for their
king or country were allowed
[00:03:20.853]
to battle on the skies forever.
[00:03:22.963]
There are so many myths and
legends and superstitions
[00:03:27.563]
that have revolved around the
Northern Lights throughout the
[00:03:29.543]
history of mankind.
[00:03:31.003]
[Sten:] By the mid-1800
scientists finally began
[00:03:33.283]
to explain many of their mysteries.
[00:03:35.193]
Like lightening or earthquakes
they are natural events not
[00:03:38.183]
supernatural ones.
[00:03:39.513]
By the turn of the twentieth
century scientist actually created
[00:03:42.553]
artificial aurora in
their laboratories.
[00:03:44.753]
Christian Burkland a famous
Norwegian scientist created this
[00:03:48.273]
device called the Torella a
magnetic sphere representing
[00:03:51.793]
the earth.
[00:03:52.193]
Currently housed at the Norwegian
technical museum this device
[00:03:56.003]
creates artificial Aurora by
using an electronic gun similar
[00:03:59.123]
to the one in your TV picture tube.
[00:04:01.053]
Burkland believed that
currents of electrons
[00:04:03.463]
from the sun caused the aurora.
[00:04:05.313]
He laid the ground work
for the modern day's study
[00:04:07.373]
of the Northern Lights.
[00:04:09.303]
Today, thanks to modern
research satellites.
[00:04:11.503]
We now have a deeper and
more complete understanding
[00:04:13.783]
of how the Northern Lights work.
[00:04:15.613]
[Jennifer:] Say, do you remember
what the final Jeopardy category
[00:04:18.053]
was at the beginning
of the program.
[00:04:20.953]
Well, if you don't, it was
the Sun-Earth Connection
[00:04:24.693]
and Sten isn't it true that the
sun is the source of the Auroras.
[00:04:29.213]
[Sten:] That's right Jennifer.
[00:04:30.183]
The sun does play a role
in producing the aurora.
[00:04:32.893]
The auroras are the only visible
evidence that we have that the sun
[00:04:36.023]
and the earth are insistent,
that are connected by more
[00:04:38.103]
than just gravity and sunlight.
[00:04:39.663]
You see the sun gives off
charged particles called ions.
[00:04:43.073]
These ions travel out in the
space, it speeds up three hundred
[00:04:45.813]
and fifty to seven hundred
kilometers per second.
[00:04:48.333]
A cloud or gas of such ions and
electrons is called the plasma.
[00:04:52.263]
The stream of plasma coming from
the sun is known as the solar wind.
[00:04:55.633]
The sun's corona or outer most
atmospheres continuously emits the
[00:04:59.923]
solar wind, a stream of
electrically charged particles.
[00:05:02.823]
Mostly protons and electrons,
flowing out in all directions,
[00:05:06.803]
it is commonly said that the
aurora's gorgeous curtains
[00:05:09.763]
of light are caused by particles
flowing directly from the sun.
[00:05:13.333]
But this is not the case at all.
[00:05:14.753]
When a major solar storm interacts
[00:05:17.063]
with the earth's magnetic field
it causes some parts of this field
[00:05:20.233]
to rearrange itself like rubber
bands pulled to breaking point.
[00:05:23.953]
The magnetic energy that is
released causes powerful currents
[00:05:27.123]
of particles to flow
from distant parts
[00:05:29.153]
of the magnetic field
into the atmosphere.
[00:05:31.653]
These currents flow
along the magnetic field
[00:05:33.853]
into the Polar Regions
and collide with nitrogen
[00:05:36.973]
and oxygen atoms in the atmosphere.
[00:05:39.083]
The color of the aurora
depends on which gas,
[00:05:41.873]
oxygen or nitrogen is being
excited by the electrons.
[00:05:45.173]
Oxygen emits either a greenish
yellow light the most familiar
[00:05:48.393]
color of the aurora or a red light.
[00:05:50.833]
Nitrogen generally
gives off a blue light.
[00:05:53.423]
The blending of these colors
can also produce purples,
[00:05:56.573]
pinks and whites.
[00:05:58.383]
[Jennifer:] Sten,
that is fascinating
[00:05:59.973]
and of course it's beautiful.
[00:06:02.023]
[Sten:] That's right
it is beautiful
[00:06:03.243]
and you know the Northern Lights
are always moving like giant
[00:06:06.543]
curtains of light, weaving
and swaying across the sky.
[00:06:10.243]
[Jennifer:] So Sten how
do scientist study the
[00:06:12.293]
Northern Lights.
[00:06:13.153]
[Sten:] Well, besides
photographing them from the ground,
[00:06:15.013]
there are three other ways that
scientist like to study them;
[00:06:17.713]
ground based measuring devices,
sounding rockets and satellites.
[00:06:22.293]
Data can be collected from
these three methods and analyzed
[00:06:25.193]
by scientist to get a complete
picture of the Aurora Borealis.
[00:06:29.023]
To get a better idea of how
ground based instruments
[00:06:31.573]
and sounding rockets are
used, let's visit Professor
[00:06:34.073]
[inaudible] at the
Andoya Rocket Range.
[00:06:36.683]
[Jennifer:] But before
we visit Prof.
[00:06:38.813]
[inaudible] and learn more
about the rocket range,
[00:06:41.273]
let's review the two math
concepts for today's program,
[00:06:44.353]
data analysis and measurement.
[00:06:46.873]
Data analysis and measurement
are two important math concepts
[00:06:49.983]
to scientist and engineers.
[00:06:51.563]
You see before things can
be analyzed they must first
[00:06:54.983]
be measured.
[00:06:56.063]
Scientist and engineers
take measurements,
[00:06:58.133]
so they can collect data.
[00:06:59.873]
Think about what you measure
everyday; link, volume,
[00:07:04.213]
mass or temperature to name a few.
[00:07:08.203]
Once scientist and engineers
collect the data they need,
[00:07:11.083]
then they must analyze that data.
[00:07:13.443]
Scientists are constantly
on a look out for patterns
[00:07:15.953]
that can help them
understand how things work.
[00:07:18.563]
By analyzing data they can
construct relationships among
[00:07:21.723]
numbers and the scientific
principles they are investigating.
[00:07:25.663]
Now that you understand the
importance of data analysis
[00:07:28.163]
and measurement, let's
go meet with Prof.
[00:07:31.393]
[inaudible]
[00:07:31.393]
>> How is the
[00:07:35.693]
[inaudible] used to
measure auroral activity?
[00:07:38.423]
>> In analyzing the graph, what
indicates a great disturbance
[00:07:42.593]
in the earth's magnetic field?
[00:07:44.703]
>> How are sounding rockets useful
to scientists and engineers?
[00:07:48.753]
[Jennifer:] Prof.
[00:07:50.843]
[inaudible], how are you?
[00:07:53.283]
>> Fine, thank you and
how are you Jennifer?
[00:07:55.743]
[Jennifer:] I am wonderful.
[00:07:56.753]
I am wonderful.
[00:07:57.633]
This is Dr.
[00:07:58.133]
[inaudible]
[00:07:58.133]
>> Hello Prof.
[00:07:59.883]
>> Hello Dr.
[00:08:00.933]
[inaudible] nice to meet you.
[00:08:01.893]
>> Meet you too.
[00:08:02.953]
[Jennifer:] You know the Andoya
Rocket Range is an exciting
[00:08:05.643]
facility can you tell
us some more about it?
[00:08:07.733]
>> Andoya Rockets Range is the
furthest north permanent located
[00:08:13.753]
rocket range where we launched
rocket and scientific balloons.
[00:08:18.673]
It's located here because it's
just under the royal depth.
[00:08:23.103]
And this is the place where we
do all the launching of rocket
[00:08:27.463]
and balloons from Norway.
[00:08:29.453]
The range provides complete
services for launch operation,
[00:08:34.243]
data acquisition, recovery and
ground instrumented support.
[00:08:39.053]
Since 1962 more than eight
hundred rockets have been launched
[00:08:44.173]
from this range.
[00:08:45.383]
We have also hosted scientist
and engineer for more
[00:08:48.693]
than seventy institute and
university around the world.
[00:08:52.873]
>> Professor, what kind of ground
based measurements do you take here
[00:08:55.633]
at the range?
[00:08:56.613]
>> Well we take a lot of
different measurements,
[00:09:00.043]
but I think the most
important is the recording
[00:09:02.553]
of the earth magnetic
filed and for that type
[00:09:05.693]
of recordings we use
a magnetometer.
[00:09:08.543]
[Jennifer:] A magnetometer,
sounds like an instrument
[00:09:11.853]
that measures magnets or
may be a magnetic field?
[00:09:15.293]
>> You are on the
right track Jennifer.
[00:09:17.363]
A magnetometer can be used to
measure weak, short term variation
[00:09:23.603]
in the strength of the earth
[00:09:25.113]
[inaudible] field.
[00:09:26.463]
It was first used in the
year 1800 by Alexander from
[00:09:30.403]
[inaudible] to start the aurora
and what he called magnetic stones.
[00:09:35.773]
These variations are
due to electric currents
[00:09:39.393]
in the upper atmosphere.
[00:09:41.393]
The electrons and ions
flowing in from distant region
[00:09:45.253]
of the earth's magnetic
field cause currents to flow
[00:09:49.493]
in the ionosphere and also
course the aurora currents.
[00:09:53.643]
So, a magnetometer measures a
quantity that is directly related
[00:09:58.883]
to the Northern Lights,
[00:10:00.243]
the stronger the magnetic
variation the higher the
[00:10:03.213]
auroral activity.
[00:10:05.713]
[Jennifer:] Professor, this is
just type of magnetometer, correct?
[00:10:08.763]
>> That's correct, yes.
[00:10:10.443]
[Jennifer:] Now how do
you analyze the data
[00:10:12.403]
that you collect from
a magnetometer?
[00:10:13.993]
>> What we do is, well we reproduce
some graphic representation
[00:10:19.683]
and if there is a big deviation
from the local standard field,
[00:10:23.583]
we call them magnetic stone.
[00:10:25.813]
And I just want to show
you one example here
[00:10:29.183]
of the big magnetic stone.
[00:10:31.763]
And here you can really
see big deviation
[00:10:34.993]
from the local standard field.
[00:10:37.753]
Following graph shows a
relative weak magnetic stone.
[00:10:42.183]
The magnetometer measure the
geomagnetic field along three axis;
[00:10:47.483]
north, south or 'H' component
east-west or 'D' component and up
[00:10:54.503]
down or 'Set' component.
[00:10:57.083]
This graph is a magnetic field
strength versus time clock.
[00:11:01.893]
Now there is a block of a
relative stone, magnetic stone,
[00:11:06.713]
probably caused by a
disturbance in the solar wind.
[00:11:10.673]
What can we conclude
from the two graphs?
[00:11:14.193]
[Jennifer:] Now let me see.
[00:11:15.433]
The second graph shows
more magnetic activity
[00:11:17.953]
than the first graph.
[00:11:19.133]
So I would say the more
magnetic activity the greater the
[00:11:23.463]
auroral activity.
[00:11:24.763]
>> That's correct, Jennifer.
[00:11:26.633]
Notice in this section of the graph
the deviations are at the maximum,
[00:11:32.453]
if the night sky was clear
we can view the mysterious
[00:11:36.733]
and beautiful aurora colors.
[00:11:39.373]
Magnetometers locate
here at a range
[00:11:42.603]
of continuously taking measurements
[00:11:45.703]
of the local geomagnetic field.
[00:11:48.133]
In fact anyone from around the
world can visit the following
[00:11:52.043]
website to analyze the
geo-magnetic activity around
[00:11:57.303]
and their rocket range.
[00:11:59.813]
>> Professor you mentioned
that this facility is known
[00:12:02.063]
for aurora research
using sounding rockets?
[00:12:04.943]
>> Yes, that's correct.
[00:12:06.423]
As a matter of fact that's the
main purpose for the rocket range,
[00:12:10.543]
we can study the Aurora
from the ground,
[00:12:12.543]
but then we just look
on the bottom aurora.
[00:12:14.983]
If you studied aurora
from a satellite,
[00:12:17.173]
you will study the
top of the aurora.
[00:12:19.913]
But by using instrumented
rocket you can study the inside
[00:12:24.623]
of the aurora, that's why sounding
rocket is such a unique platform
[00:12:29.383]
for the auroral studies.
[00:12:31.193]
Other instruments under
rocket, register electric field
[00:12:35.243]
and magnetic field and
count particles coming
[00:12:39.413]
into the atmosphere from distance
part of the earth magnetic field.
[00:12:44.693]
Consequently, the energy
[00:12:46.553]
that produces the Northern
Light can be calculated.
[00:12:50.073]
During an ordinary
winter night in Norway,
[00:12:53.773]
the Northern Light involves
more energy than the country use
[00:12:58.003]
in one year as severe the
auroral storm can produce billions
[00:13:03.233]
of joules of energy per second.
[00:13:06.393]
[Jennifer:] Prof.
[00:13:06.673]
[inaudible], thank you,
we learned so much.
[00:13:09.113]
>> Its really my pleasure, thank
you too or as we say Norway,
[00:13:15.413]
[inaudible].
[00:13:15.783]
[Jennifer:] Okay, guys, now it's
a time for a cue card review.
[00:13:20.533]
1. How is the magnetometer used
to measure auroral activity?
[00:13:25.053]
2. In analyzing the graph, what
indicate a great disturbance
[00:13:29.483]
in the earth's magnetic field?
[00:13:30.863]
3. How are sounding rockets useful
to scientists and engineers?
[00:13:35.913]
So, did you get all the
answers to the questions,
[00:13:38.663]
good, now let's review.
[00:13:40.823]
We've learned about the myths
[00:13:42.533]
and legends surrounding
the Northern Lights
[00:13:45.163]
and we also learned how
ground based instruments
[00:13:48.203]
and sounding rockets are
used to study the auroras.
[00:13:51.863]
Now, we turn our focus
to space later
[00:13:54.983]
in the program Dr. Nikki Fox
will tell us how data analysis
[00:13:58.733]
and measurement are used to
study the auroras with the help
[00:14:01.613]
of two NASA satellites
Polar and Timed.
[00:14:05.763]
But first Sten, will give
us the scoop on image.
[00:14:09.763]
[00:14:12.003]
[Sten:] Thanks, Jennifer,
aurora tell us in a dramatic way
[00:14:15.153]
that something invisible is
happening above our heads in space
[00:14:17.983]
to light up our skies.
[00:14:19.553]
We can use sophisticated earth
orbiting satellites to learn more
[00:14:22.473]
about the causes of the aurora.
[00:14:25.263]
The imager for magnetosphere
to aurora global exploration
[00:14:28.633]
or image is a NASA satellite that
lets us see the invisible activity
[00:14:32.813]
that swirls around the earth and
eventually causes aurora to appear.
[00:14:36.493]
When a solar storm collides with
earth one of the first signs
[00:14:39.683]
of the disturbance is a collection
[00:14:41.073]
of particles called
the wind current.
[00:14:43.233]
It's an invisible river of
charged particles extending
[00:14:45.913]
over thirty thousand
kilometers from earth.
[00:14:48.843]
Much of the matter in this
current actually comes
[00:14:51.313]
from the earth's upper atmosphere
in gigantic plumes and fountains
[00:14:54.713]
of gas from the Polar Regions.
[00:14:56.763]
But we still don't know how
the particles get their energy;
[00:14:59.783]
another part of the upper
atmosphere seen by image
[00:15:02.323]
for the first time is what
scientist calls the plasma sphere.
[00:15:06.083]
It extends out in to space at
least ten thousand kilometers;
[00:15:09.653]
you should think that it is the
outer limits to the ionosphere.
[00:15:12.703]
During severer storms parts of the
plasma sphere are stripped off,
[00:15:16.523]
but then reform as new gas flows
out of the earth's upper regions
[00:15:21.213]
and of course image
also provides scientists
[00:15:24.173]
with movie like high
resolution views
[00:15:26.313]
of the aurora seeing from space.
[00:15:28.543]
Over the South Pole, the satellite
dips down to a thousand kilometers
[00:15:32.283]
to show as never before seen
details in auroral structure.
[00:15:36.293]
The Aurora in the South Pole
is called Aurora Australis.
[00:15:40.373]
Over the North Pole we see a more
distant view any bigger picture we
[00:15:44.763]
can relate this big picture
with views of the wind current
[00:15:47.343]
and plasma sphere to
track the evolution
[00:15:49.493]
of an Aurora from cradle to grave.
[00:15:52.673]
The reason why we are so keen
to understand the aurora is
[00:15:55.773]
that the aurora are kind of
like a final examination;
[00:15:58.853]
if we can really understand
how they work,
[00:16:01.013]
that means we also
understand all the other things
[00:16:03.273]
about earth's environment as well.
[00:16:05.213]
We have billions of dollars
of satellite technology
[00:16:07.663]
in space astronauts
living and working in space
[00:16:10.863]
and on the ground
many kinds of systems
[00:16:12.973]
that are affected by solar storms.
[00:16:15.203]
An electrical blackout
in Canada back
[00:16:16.473]
in 1989 cost billions of dollars.
[00:16:20.083]
We have lost over two billion
dollars of expensive communication
[00:16:23.413]
and research satellites in
the last ten years alone.
[00:16:26.173]
Solar storms have tremendous
potential to cause damage to us.
[00:16:29.773]
Only by understanding Aurora and
the events that lead up to them,
[00:16:33.133]
can we improve our
ability to predict how
[00:16:35.293]
to avoid the harmful effects
of space weather storms?
[00:16:38.883]
The real challenge is to
get enough early warning
[00:16:41.413]
that a storm is approaching that's
why it's also important to look
[00:16:44.673]
at the sun for clues
to the next storm.
[00:16:47.243]
[Jennifer:] Thanks Sten.
[00:16:48.233]
Okay guys.
[00:16:49.093]
Now it's your turn to apply data
analysis and measurement skills
[00:16:52.503]
with this really collectivity.
[00:16:54.293]
Sten they are gorgeous aren't they?
[00:16:56.473]
[Sten:] Aren't they amazing?
[00:17:00.593]
[00:17:02.393]
>> Hi! We are students from
[00:17:04.093]
[inaudible] school right here I am
[00:17:05.153]
[inaudible].
[00:17:06.293]
>> NASA Connect also to show
you this activity it's called
[00:17:09.313]
[inaudible] and aurora.
[00:17:10.013]
>> You can download
data on listed materials
[00:17:12.703]
from the NASA Connect Website.
[00:17:14.483]
>> Here are the main objectives.
[00:17:17.633]
[Jennifer:] Students will
find and plot locations
[00:17:20.323]
on map using geographic coordinate.
[00:17:23.583]
Draw conclusions based on graphical
information, convert centimeters
[00:17:28.403]
to kilometers using
the given scale,
[00:17:30.953]
here are some terms
you will need to know.
[00:17:33.423]
Latitude, a geographic coordinate
measured from the equator
[00:17:37.263]
with positive values going north
and negative values going south.
[00:17:41.133]
Longitude, a geographic coordinate
measured from the prime meridian
[00:17:45.023]
which is a longitude that
runs from Greenwich England
[00:17:47.463]
with positive values going east
and negative values going west.
[00:17:51.883]
>> Good morning class.
[00:17:54.153]
The Northern Lights are seen
with dramatic colors and only
[00:17:57.023]
in certain places in
the Northern Hemisphere.
[00:18:00.613]
Today you will plot the
location and boundaries
[00:18:03.693]
of a typical auroral oval
in the arctic region.
[00:18:07.233]
You will see its geographic extent
and determine its relationship
[00:18:11.483]
to familiar continents
and countries.
[00:18:13.923]
Distribute all of student material.
[00:18:16.313]
Students can work alone or in pair.
[00:18:18.713]
Students label the latitude lines
beginning at the center point
[00:18:21.983]
with ninety degrees, then mark
each circle ten degrees west
[00:18:25.643]
in the previous circle
ending at twenty degrees.
[00:18:28.213]
Next, label the unmarked
longitude lines; plot the points
[00:18:32.443]
on to the geographic
grid for the outer ring.
[00:18:35.113]
The geographic data-points
can be found
[00:18:37.243]
on the student activity sheet.
[00:18:38.983]
The points are identified as
order pair longitude, latitude.
[00:18:43.023]
For example, the order pair one
eighty-sixty means one hundred
[00:18:47.223]
eighty degrees longitude
and sixty degrees latitude.
[00:18:50.853]
Connect the points in the
outer ring, now plot the point
[00:18:54.173]
on to the geographic grid for the
inner ring and connect the points.
[00:18:57.953]
Using the scale one centimeter
equals fourteen hundred kilometers
[00:19:01.933]
measured in kilometers the
approximate width of the shortest
[00:19:05.553]
and longest distances between
the inner and outer range
[00:19:09.043]
and determine the range.
[00:19:10.583]
Record these values on the
student activity sheet.
[00:19:13.583]
>> Okay class.
[00:19:14.313]
From the analysis of your
graph, how far is the center
[00:19:19.493]
of the auroral oval
from the North Pole?
[00:19:22.493]
>> I calculated that the center
of the auroral oval over is
[00:19:25.533]
about five hundred
kilometers from the North Pole.
[00:19:28.963]
>> Very good
[00:19:30.393]
[inaudible] and where would
you travel in North America
[00:19:32.703]
to see the Northern Lights.
[00:19:34.543]
>> From the graph either Canada
or Alaska are the best places
[00:19:37.783]
to view the Northern Lights.
[00:19:40.043]
[00:19:41.493]
>> Students once you complete
the hands-on activity,
[00:19:44.363]
check out the web activity
[00:19:45.533]
for today' program called the
NASA Northern Nights challenge.
[00:19:49.123]
It can be accessed at
the NASA Connect website.
[00:19:52.003]
This activity is created
to be fun, interactive
[00:19:55.073]
and will challenge your
ability to solve problems.
[00:19:57.673]
During the course of the activity
we will use various probes
[00:20:00.623]
to explore properties of the
planets and our solar system.
[00:20:03.933]
There are eight interactive probes
[00:20:05.493]
in different color boxes along
the two sides you'll learn
[00:20:08.633]
about the temperature, magnetic
field strength solar wind density,
[00:20:13.223]
atmospheric gases, mean
distance, mean density, gravity
[00:20:18.123]
and speed on other planets.
[00:20:19.943]
Upon exploring each planet
you will apply what you learnt
[00:20:23.143]
to solve the following problem,
[00:20:24.913]
what other planets may
have the Northern Lights.
[00:20:27.543]
Special thanks to the students from
[00:20:29.163]
[inaudible] School and
[00:20:29.753]
[inaudible] School
and Virginia Beach,
[00:20:32.243]
Virginia for demonstrating
this web activity.
[00:20:36.053]
[00:20:37.283]
>> Super job you guys.
[00:20:39.083]
So what is NASA doing
to study the auroras.
[00:20:42.183]
Well Nikki Fox a Senior Scientist
[00:20:44.863]
at the John Hopkins University
Applied Physics laboratory
[00:20:47.933]
in Baltimore Maryland
can tell us all about it.
[00:20:52.323]
[00:20:53.853]
>> Why do Scientist view satellite
images to monitor the auroras?
[00:20:57.153]
>> In analyzing the graph when
do aurora activities increase?
[00:21:00.843]
>> What are the phases
of the aurora?
[00:21:03.193]
>> This is the John
Hopkins University,
[00:21:07.223]
Applied Physics Laboratory
and Laurel Maryland.
[00:21:10.063]
I am the Operation Scientist
for the Polar Mission.
[00:21:12.973]
The Polar Mission is part of
NASA's Sun-Earth Connections fleet,
[00:21:16.373]
within the Sun-Earth Connections
fleet Polar has the responsibility
[00:21:19.943]
for multi-wave length imaging of
the aurora measuring the entry
[00:21:23.453]
of the material into the Polar
Regions the flow of material to
[00:21:27.243]
and from the ionosphere and
the discharge of the energy
[00:21:30.293]
in the ionosphere and
the upper atmosphere.
[00:21:32.983]
Scientist use satellite
images to monitor the position
[00:21:36.103]
of the various auroral features.
[00:21:38.303]
In particular the latitudinal
location of the edge closest
[00:21:42.193]
to the equator of the aurora
determines the amount of activity.
[00:21:46.273]
The further the aurora moves
towards the equator the bigger the
[00:21:49.363]
event, also the extent
and speed of the expansion
[00:21:53.033]
of the aurora tells us a lot
about the amount of activity.
[00:21:56.603]
The further and faster it
moves the larger the events.
[00:22:00.293]
Polar is a unique space craft
[00:22:02.033]
because it carries four different
cameras to study the aurora.
[00:22:05.553]
There is a high resolution visible
imager, which allows us to look
[00:22:08.893]
at the aurora in different
wave lengths,
[00:22:10.613]
or colors in this way we can
simultaneously image the red,
[00:22:14.603]
blue and green components
of the aurora.
[00:22:16.883]
There is also a global imager
which allows us to look
[00:22:20.033]
at the whole earth at once.
[00:22:22.293]
This camera takes
pictures in ultra violet
[00:22:25.013]
so we can see what the
aurora is doing even
[00:22:27.633]
when there is sunlight in the way.
[00:22:29.823]
Auroras do occur during
the day time,
[00:22:32.103]
we just can't see them
with the naked eye.
[00:22:34.653]
But from the images of this
camera we can see the size
[00:22:37.713]
of the auroral oval.
[00:22:39.003]
For example, the following
graph shows you the latitude
[00:22:42.143]
in a auroral extent to selected
its coronal mass ejection events.
[00:22:46.543]
Coronal mass ejections or CME's
are gigantic explosions caused
[00:22:51.073]
by the sun that can reach speeds
of millions of kilometers per hour.
[00:22:55.443]
It takes around three days
for CME to reach the earth.
[00:22:59.493]
The vertical axis of the graph
is the geomagnetic north latitude
[00:23:03.923]
from forty degrees to
fifty eight degrees.
[00:23:06.833]
On a globe forty degrees North
latitude is closer to the equator
[00:23:11.203]
and fifty eight degree
North latitude is closer
[00:23:13.963]
to the geomagnetic North Pole.
[00:23:16.563]
The horizontal axis represents
the dates of selected CME events
[00:23:21.433]
from analysis of this
graph we can determine
[00:23:23.993]
that the latitudinal auroral
extent generally increased
[00:23:27.533]
from 1997 to 2000.
[00:23:30.203]
Be careful in the way you
interpret this growth.
[00:23:32.543]
The function appears
[00:23:33.713]
to be decreasing even though the
data show a downward trend the
[00:23:37.753]
auroral oval extended
closer to the equator.
[00:23:40.453]
For this particular
graph it tells us
[00:23:43.203]
that the auroral activity
increased lets look
[00:23:46.323]
at two data points.
[00:23:48.273]
From the data on January10th
1997 there was am auroral event
[00:23:53.043]
in the Northern Hemisphere
that extended to a latitude
[00:23:56.063]
of fifty seven point three degrees.
[00:23:58.423]
Do you know the name of the country
that the auroral oval covered?
[00:24:01.723]
If you said Canada,
then you were correct.
[00:24:06.153]
On July 15th, 2000, there was
an auroral event that extended
[00:24:10.053]
to latitude forty one
point two degrees.
[00:24:13.073]
The auroral activity was so intense
that the auroral oval stretched
[00:24:16.863]
in to the southern part
of the United States.
[00:24:19.573]
The eleven years solar cycle
[00:24:20.893]
of the sun reached its
maximum in the year 2000.
[00:24:24.173]
So we expected auroral activity
to increase from 1997 to 2000.
[00:24:30.383]
With all these cameras and the data
we collect we can photograph the
[00:24:33.953]
evolution of an Aurora.
[00:24:35.763]
The evolution of every aurora
tends to follow a similar sequence.
[00:24:40.173]
We call this an auroral sub storm.
[00:24:43.003]
The following images show a typical
sequence of an auroral sub storm.
[00:24:47.343]
The first image shows a quiet oval
before any activity begins this is
[00:24:52.633]
called the quiet phase.
[00:24:54.713]
Right before we see any bright
emissions we can observe the oval
[00:24:57.873]
getting bigger and to moves
further towards the equator.
[00:25:01.523]
This is called the growth
phase, the activity truly begins
[00:25:05.263]
with a small spot of light
or onset event followed
[00:25:08.843]
by the lighting of whole
ring and an expansion
[00:25:11.663]
to a more forward location.
[00:25:13.823]
The large bright region you can
see is called the auroral bulge.
[00:25:17.843]
When we the Aurora reaches its
maximum expansion you can see
[00:25:21.243]
that the large bulge
begins to break up
[00:25:23.643]
and the small discrete
features appear.
[00:25:26.523]
Finally, the whole aurora dims and
recovers it will eventually return
[00:25:30.983]
to the initial stage
to quiet phase.
[00:25:34.013]
The whole process may
repeat over and over again
[00:25:37.013]
until the activity
dies out completely.
[00:25:39.633]
Now all the images you've
seen so far have been
[00:25:41.893]
from the Northern Hemisphere
of the Northern Lights
[00:25:44.593]
or the Aurora Borealis.
[00:25:46.413]
But did you know that there
was also a Southern counterpart
[00:25:48.993]
of the Aurora called the Southern
Lights or the Aurora Australis
[00:25:53.133]
and here we are seeing
a unique movie taken
[00:25:55.273]
by the Polar space craft
that shows us both the North
[00:25:58.223]
and the South at the same time.
[00:26:00.313]
This allows us to see that
the activity is occurring
[00:26:03.463]
at the same time in both
hemispheres we call this
[00:26:06.793]
the conjugate Aurora.
[00:26:08.793]
Now we've seen data from
many different cameras
[00:26:10.843]
on the Polar space
craft and learned
[00:26:12.733]
that when you add them
all together you can learn
[00:26:14.403]
and often lot more
about the aurora.
[00:26:16.623]
Now we are looking at an animation
[00:26:18.133]
which shows the polar
auroral image underneath
[00:26:21.373]
with the time spacecraft
flying over the top.
[00:26:24.343]
Time is taking images in very
high resolution and you can see
[00:26:27.973]
that every time the
spacecraft flies
[00:26:30.003]
through the oval it suddenly
illuminates all the fine scaled
[00:26:33.153]
features that you
couldn't see before.
[00:26:35.253]
So now we know that when you add
[00:26:36.723]
to data sets together you
get even more information now
[00:26:39.913]
with the addition of data from
ground based observatories
[00:26:42.533]
and sounding rockets we
can look at the aurora
[00:26:44.853]
with full perspective.
[00:26:46.693]
>> Okay now it's time
for a cue card review.
[00:26:48.923]
1. Why the scientists use satellite
images to monitor the auroras?
[00:26:54.513]
2. In analyzing the graph when
do auroral activities increase?
[00:26:58.803]
3. What are the phases
of the Aurora?
[00:27:01.933]
>> Well, that wraps up another
episode of NASA Connect.
[00:27:04.783]
>> We'd like to thank everybody,
who to help make the show possible.
[00:27:07.503]
>> Got a question or comment or
perhaps a suggestion then write us
[00:27:11.953]
at NASA Centre for Distance
Learning NASA Langley Research
[00:27:15.283]
Centre, Mail Stop four
hundred, Hampton Virginia 23681.
[00:27:20.693]
You know each year here on
[00:27:22.383]
[inaudible] they celebrate
the beauty of the auroras
[00:27:25.083]
with the Northern Lights festival.
[00:27:27.323]
>> We leave you know with
some images of the festival
[00:27:29.883]
and the people of Norway.
[00:27:31.523]
>> So until next time stay
connected to math, science,
[00:27:35.933]
technology and of course NASA.
[00:27:38.043]
We will see you then
good bye from Norway.
[00:27:40.213]
>> Alright.
[00:27:40.553]