Low South Pole Solar Wind Conditions (11 May 1999)
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Credit
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio
Polar Visible Aurora: Low Solar Wind Conditions on May 11, 1999 over the South Pole
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.
Visible aurora over the South Pole on May 11, 1999 as measured by Polar