Magnetosphere
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NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
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NASA's MMS Mission Marks 10 Years of Magnetic Reconnection Discoveries
NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has completed a decade of discoveries, advancing the study of magnetic reconnection—a crucial process in space physics. The four-satellite fleet has enabled over 1,500 research papers, refining theories and revealing unexpected reconnection locations. The mission has also set records for GPS tracking...
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FAST Telescope Reveals Emission Properties of Three Long-Period Pulsars in New Study
The FAST telescope has observed emission behaviours in three long-period pulsars, revealing null phases, asymmetric pulses, and microstructures. The study highlights variations in pulsar emissions and their periodicity, contributing to a deeper understanding of neutron star radio emissions. Researchers noted different nulling fractions and microstr...
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May 2024 Solar Storm Triggers Unusual Radiation Belts, Raising Space Safety Concerns
A significant solar storm in May 2024 led to the creation of two temporary radiation belts, detected by the CIRBE satellite in June. One belt contained high-energy electrons, while the other was rich in protons, a rare occurrence. While the electron belt dissipated in three months, the proton-dominated belt remains, potentially affecting space miss...
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Massive Coronal Hole on Sun Sends High-Speed Solar Wind Toward Earth
A giant 800,000 km coronal hole on the Sun is unleashing high-speed solar wind toward Earth, potentially triggering a G1 geomagnetic storm on January 31 and February 1. The NOAA has issued a watch, predicting enhanced auroras in higher latitudes. While G1 storms are minor, they can impact satellites and power grids. The storm’s intensity remains ...
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Chorus Waves Found Far From Earth Raise Concerns for Space Exploration
Chorus waves, energetic electromagnetic bursts resembling bird chirps, have been detected 100,000 miles from Earth, far beyond their usual range. NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites observed these waves in a flatter region of Earth's magnetosphere, contradicting prior assumptions about their formation near strong magnetic gradients. The wav...
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NASA Rockets Set to Journey Through Flickering, Disappearing Auroras
NASA is set to launch two groundbreaking rocket missions in January 2025 to unravel the mysteries of auroras. The GIRAFF mission will study fast-pulsating and flickering auroras, while the Black and Diffuse Aurora Science Surveyor mission will focus on dark auroral patches or "black auroras." By using advanced instruments to measure electron activi...
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AI Enhances Northern Lights Classification and Geomagnetic Storm Forecasting
A breakthrough in auroral research, powered by artificial intelligence, has allowed scientists to classify over 700 million auroral images. This effort, using NASA's THEMIS dataset, will significantly enhance the prediction of geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt Earth's communication and security systems. Led by the University of New Hampshire, t...
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NASA's LEXI Mission Will Explore Earth’s Magnetic Shield from the Moon
NASA is preparing for the launch of the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) aboard Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, scheduled for January 15. The mission will observe Earth’s magnetosphere, capturing X-ray images that reveal how the planet's magnetic shield reacts to solar wind. This project could improve predictions of geoma...
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Scientists Find the Origin of a Mysterious Fast Radio Burst With a Unique Technique
Researchers have pinpointed the origin of fast radio burst FRB 20221022A to within 10,000 kilometres of a neutron star. Using scintillation analysis, a team from MIT determined that the burst emerged from the magnetosphere, a highly magnetic and chaotic environment surrounding the star. This discovery marks the first conclusive evidence of FRBs ori...
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Voyager 2's Historic Flyby of Uranus Exposes Rare Magnetic Distortion
A new analysis of Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus in 1986 reveals a unique magnetic anomaly caused by a rare solar wind event. Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech found that the solar wind’s impact on Uranus’s magnetosphere was a unique occurrence, influencing measurements of the planet’s magnetic field. The study also ...
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After A Solar Storm, A Stunning Pink Aurora Spotted In Earth's Night Skies
On November 3, after a solar storm caused a temporary crack in the Earth's magnetic field, unusual pink aurora borealis swarmed the skies above Norway.
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NASA's MMS Creates New Guinness World Record
NASA has said its Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, or MMS -- that is giving scientists new insight into Earths magnetosphere -- now holds the Guinness World Record for highest altitude fix of a GPS signal.
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Magnetic Reconnection Directly Observed for First Time: Study
The effects of this sudden release of particles and energy have been observed throughout the solar system and beyond.
-
NASA Finding Bolsters Indian Theory on Black Hole
An Indian astrophysicist says the recent observation by NASA scientists of giant flares of X-rays from a black hole confirms his theory that the so-called black holes are not "true" black holes but actually ultra hot balls of fire like our Sun.
-
NASA’s EZIE Satellites Begin Mission to Study Auroral Electrojets and Space Weather
NASA’s Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer (EZIE) mission has been launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The trio of small satellites will map auroral electrojets, powerful currents in Earth’s atmosphere linked to solar storms. Their data will enhance space weather prediction models and help understand planetary mag...
-
NASA's MMS Mission Marks 10 Years of Magnetic Reconnection Discoveries
NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has completed a decade of discoveries, advancing the study of magnetic reconnection—a crucial process in space physics. The four-satellite fleet has enabled over 1,500 research papers, refining theories and revealing unexpected reconnection locations. The mission has also set records for GPS tracking...
-
FAST Telescope Reveals Emission Properties of Three Long-Period Pulsars in New Study
The FAST telescope has observed emission behaviours in three long-period pulsars, revealing null phases, asymmetric pulses, and microstructures. The study highlights variations in pulsar emissions and their periodicity, contributing to a deeper understanding of neutron star radio emissions. Researchers noted different nulling fractions and microstr...
-
May 2024 Solar Storm Triggers Unusual Radiation Belts, Raising Space Safety Concerns
A significant solar storm in May 2024 led to the creation of two temporary radiation belts, detected by the CIRBE satellite in June. One belt contained high-energy electrons, while the other was rich in protons, a rare occurrence. While the electron belt dissipated in three months, the proton-dominated belt remains, potentially affecting space miss...
-
Massive Coronal Hole on Sun Sends High-Speed Solar Wind Toward Earth
A giant 800,000 km coronal hole on the Sun is unleashing high-speed solar wind toward Earth, potentially triggering a G1 geomagnetic storm on January 31 and February 1. The NOAA has issued a watch, predicting enhanced auroras in higher latitudes. While G1 storms are minor, they can impact satellites and power grids. The storm’s intensity remains ...
-
Chorus Waves Found Far From Earth Raise Concerns for Space Exploration
Chorus waves, energetic electromagnetic bursts resembling bird chirps, have been detected 100,000 miles from Earth, far beyond their usual range. NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale satellites observed these waves in a flatter region of Earth's magnetosphere, contradicting prior assumptions about their formation near strong magnetic gradients. The wav...
-
NASA Rockets Set to Journey Through Flickering, Disappearing Auroras
NASA is set to launch two groundbreaking rocket missions in January 2025 to unravel the mysteries of auroras. The GIRAFF mission will study fast-pulsating and flickering auroras, while the Black and Diffuse Aurora Science Surveyor mission will focus on dark auroral patches or "black auroras." By using advanced instruments to measure electron activi...
-
AI Enhances Northern Lights Classification and Geomagnetic Storm Forecasting
A breakthrough in auroral research, powered by artificial intelligence, has allowed scientists to classify over 700 million auroral images. This effort, using NASA's THEMIS dataset, will significantly enhance the prediction of geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt Earth's communication and security systems. Led by the University of New Hampshire, t...
-
NASA's LEXI Mission Will Explore Earth’s Magnetic Shield from the Moon
NASA is preparing for the launch of the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) aboard Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, scheduled for January 15. The mission will observe Earth’s magnetosphere, capturing X-ray images that reveal how the planet's magnetic shield reacts to solar wind. This project could improve predictions of geoma...
-
Scientists Find the Origin of a Mysterious Fast Radio Burst With a Unique Technique
Researchers have pinpointed the origin of fast radio burst FRB 20221022A to within 10,000 kilometres of a neutron star. Using scintillation analysis, a team from MIT determined that the burst emerged from the magnetosphere, a highly magnetic and chaotic environment surrounding the star. This discovery marks the first conclusive evidence of FRBs ori...
-
Voyager 2's Historic Flyby of Uranus Exposes Rare Magnetic Distortion
A new analysis of Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus in 1986 reveals a unique magnetic anomaly caused by a rare solar wind event. Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech found that the solar wind’s impact on Uranus’s magnetosphere was a unique occurrence, influencing measurements of the planet’s magnetic field. The study also ...
-
After A Solar Storm, A Stunning Pink Aurora Spotted In Earth's Night Skies
On November 3, after a solar storm caused a temporary crack in the Earth's magnetic field, unusual pink aurora borealis swarmed the skies above Norway.
-
NASA's MMS Creates New Guinness World Record
NASA has said its Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, or MMS -- that is giving scientists new insight into Earths magnetosphere -- now holds the Guinness World Record for highest altitude fix of a GPS signal.
-
Magnetic Reconnection Directly Observed for First Time: Study
The effects of this sudden release of particles and energy have been observed throughout the solar system and beyond.
-
NASA Finding Bolsters Indian Theory on Black Hole
An Indian astrophysicist says the recent observation by NASA scientists of giant flares of X-rays from a black hole confirms his theory that the so-called black holes are not "true" black holes but actually ultra hot balls of fire like our Sun.
