posted on Dec, 27 2010 @ 12:44 PM
I found this to be pretty interesting and havent seen anyting on ATS as of yet so enjoy...
How the pulsating auroras form has long been a mystery. Stable auroras form when electrons and ionized particles from the solar wind travel down
magnetic field lines towards Earth. These collide with nitrogen and oxygen particles in the ionosphere, some100 km above Earth, and the collisions
send out blue, green, and red photons to create the colorful light shows of the aurora.
But no one knew what could cause an aurora to turn into a strobe light until scientists at UCLA looked at data from NASA's THEMIS spacecraft. They
discovered that the auroras pulsed in sync to chorus waves far above Earth's atmosphere. The chorus waves apparently drive the light-inducing solar
wind particles down to Earth following its own unique beat.
Linking the two phenomena does more than explain the origins of the pulsating aurora. Using the electromagnetic waves and the aurora to define end
points of magnetic field lines gives scientists a new tool to physically map Earth's constantly changing magnetic field. Knowing the way that the
magnetic field moves, in turn, is crucial for understanding space weather and phenomena that can threaten Earth-observing satellites.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/6dfa906623de.jpg[/atsimg]
pulsating aurora pic above
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/91698469b293.png[/atsimg]
chorus waves pic above
LINK
blogs.nasa.gov...
Could the Earth be speaking and we dont hear it?
edit on 12/27/10 by Ophiuchus 13 because: (no reason given)