North Pole Comparison w/ Grid (11 May vs 13 Nov 1999)

  • Credit

    NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Polar Visible Aurora: North Pole Comparison between May 11, 1999 and November 13, 1999 (Grid)

On May 11, 1999, the solar wind that blows constantly from the Sun virtually disappeared. Dropping to a small fraction of its normal density and to half its normal speed, the solar wind died down enough to allow physicists to observe particles flowing directly from the Sun's corona to Earth. This severe change in the solar wind also drastically changed the shape of Earth's magnetic field and produced a rare auroral display at Earth's North Pole.

A comparison of images of the aurora over the North Pole on May 11, 1999, when there was no solar wind, and November 13, 1999, during normal solar wind conditions.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    IMAGE/VIS

  • Animation ID

    784

  • Video ID

    SVS1999-0029

  • Start Timecode

    1:06:03:19

  • End Timecode

    1:06:34:21

  • Animator

    Greg Shirah

  • Studio

    SVS

  • Visualization Date

    1999/12/08

  • Scientist

    David Chenette (LMATC), John B. Sigwarth (University of Iowa), Mike Carlowicz (NASA/GSFC)

  • Keywords

    Aurora, Electron Fluxes, Upper Atmosphere

  • DLESE Subject

    Space science, Geophysics

  • Data Date

    1999/05/11, 1999/11/13

  • Pao ID

    g99-103_space

  • Animation Type

    Regular